MINNEAPOLIS—Restaurant Technologies, Inc. (RTI) delivered almost 720 million pounds of fresh cooking oil and exceeded its own record by recycling over 393 million pounds of used cooking oil (UCO) in 2025. With the support of renewable energy partners, such as Phillips 66, the company converted nearly 100 percent of its UCO into renewable diesel or biodiesel for vehicles on the road, or into sustainable aviation fuel for aircraft. “I am tremendously proud of our organization, our sustainability accomplishments, and our continued efforts to build a cleaner, healthier planet,” said Diana Geseking, Chief Legal Officer and ESG committee chair. “I look...

BEACON FALLS, CONN.—Superior Health Linens, a division of Healthcare Linen Services Group in Cudahy, Wis., has reached a purchase agreement to replace their 20-year-old LAVATEC LP582 extraction press with a newer model. The machine is expected to be installed later this summer. “The LP582 has been a key contributor to our processing capabilities over the last 20 years. Its straightforward controls and easy operation have made it both reliable and simple to maintain,” said Frank Seago, General Manager of Superior Health Linens. He began working at the company in 2017 and served in engineering and operations roles before being promoted...

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released its 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, finding ongoing widespread pesticide residue on popular non-organic fruits and vegetables—including pesticides that are the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. EWG has published the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce nearly every year since 2004. The 2026 edition analyzed USDA residue data from 54,344 samples of 47 fruits and vegetables, detecting 264 pesticides and breakdown products. In 2025, EWG strengthened its methodology to incorporate pesticide toxicity, alongside the number and levels of residues. Details were published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. The guide...

SINGAPORE—As the global business events sector responds to rising sustainability expectations, venues are increasingly challenged to address one of the sectors’ most persistent blind spots: operational waste and on-site energy use. While carbon reduction strategies often focus on travel or temporary event infrastructure, long-term impact increasingly depends on how venues rethink the systems that power events every day. Marina Bay Sands is charting a new path for the industry, demonstrating how systems-level thinking can be applied at scale, and how luxury hospitality and sustainability innovation can advance in lockstep. In 2025, the integrated resort became the first hospitality organization in Asia to...

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND—Meliá Chiang Mai’s executive chef Suksant Chutinthratip, known as Chef Billy, has been lauded with the prestigious Chiang Mai Green Kitchen “Green People” Award for his pioneering work building a more sustainable food system. Meliá Chiang Mai’s restaurants Laan Ha Kitchen and MAI Restaurant and Bar have also each been awarded the prestigious “Chiang Mai Green Kitchen” certificate the fourth consecutive year for ongoing sustainability efforts as part of Thailand’s Green Kitchen project. Supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Green Kitchen 2026 promotes organic and sustainable food concepts with participation from 44...

CORNELL, N.Y.—The U.S. hotel industry faces growing pressure to address food waste due to its significant environmental, financial, and reputational impacts. This report, developed in partnership with the U.S. Food Waste Pact, Greenview, AHLA, and CHSB, aims to evaluate the current state of food waste practices, data disclosure, and reduction efforts across the hospitality sector. It highlights both the challenges and opportunities in advancing industry-wide progress on food waste reduction. Food waste in hotels stems largely from overproduction, spoilage, and leftover food from guest plates, especially in full-service and resort properties. However, comprehensive data remain scarce, with only 6 percent...

CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO—Frontline International, maker of smart management solutions for foodservice kitchens’ fats, oils, and grease, is pleased to announce the hiring of Joshua Smith as its new sales manager. Working closely with leadership, Smith will be responsible for analyzing market trends, establishing sales goals and strategies, educating new customers and the sales team, and building strong customer relationships. Smith has spent his entire career in the foodservice industry, first in restaurant operations before moving into the equipment side of the business. “It enables me to see the whole picture,” said Smith. “I have firsthand experience with the pain points...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Regenerative tourism was cool two years ago. Now in 2026, it’s overused. Yes, it’s still wildly important as you can argue that a luxury hotel brand with a strong sustainability program can no longer be called luxury. But the market is getting saturated with hotels and resorts tapping into regenerative positioning and marketing angles. Real trendsetters are already one step aside, and here is one potential step that we’ve helped introduce to clients to get into their implementation roadmap. Agrobiodiversity is complex to fully understand, but there’s value in simplifying this complexity, and it serves a very noble cause...

MADRID—The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and UN Tourism have launched the “Recipe of Change” initiative to address food waste in the tourism sector, with participation from major industry businesses serving over 600 million guests annually. The “Recipe of Change” initiative, launched by UNEP and UN Tourism on the International Day of Zero Waste, aims to address food waste in the tourism sector. The program encourages participating organizations to measure food waste in their operations and implement operational and behavioral solutions in support of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which aims to halve food waste by 2030. A Global Roundtable was convened...

TOKYO—1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, announced the official opening of 1 Hotel Tokyo, the brand’s first property in Japan. Now welcoming guests, the hotel is a sanctuary in the sky, set high within the Akasaka Trust Tower, offering sweeping views of the Imperial Palace gardens, Tokyo Tower, and the city skyline. The property brings 1 Hotels’ signature nature-led design, trailblazing food and beverage concepts, wellness-forward experiences, and a luxuriously sustainable ethos to one of the world’s most dynamic cities. The property is the result of a collaboration between 1 Hotels and Mori...