On average, nearly 70 million tons of food is wasted each year in the United States. With the novel coronavirus COVID-19 effectively turning the world upside down, this number promises to increase. Among those expected to experience an increase in food waste generated on-site is the hospitality industry. As short-term lodging sites and hotels adjust their practices and occupancy levels, food is discarded at a higher rate due to a lack of sales or guests. Hotels have typically been at the forefront of the food waste challenge in the hospitality industry. Overnight guests are known for adding to the amount...

CINCINNATI—Stay-at-home restrictions are being lifted across the country and more people will resume their routines of shopping at retail stores, traveling for work and fun, and eating out in restaurants. But as two new surveys from P&G Professional reveal, COVID-19 is still top of mind for consumers and it will be critical for businesses to reassure their guests that it is safe to return. Communicating that the space is cleaned and disinfected by brands they know, and trust will help instill this consumer confidence. In May 2020, P&G Professional, the away from home division of Procter & Gamble, surveyed 850...

BOSTON—Bevi, a tech startup company that offers a suite of smart water coolers with still and sparkling flavors for commercial spaces, has announced a timely new touchless dispensing feature that provides users with a means to hydrate without using the machine’s touchscreen. As offices and workplaces begin to reopen, health precautions around COVID are top of mind, and there are concerns about contacting appliances such as shared water coolers and refrigerators. A growing response has been to turn to single-use packaging and other environmentally unsustainable products. Bevi believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between sustainability and safety, so it’s...

LAS VEGAS—Now, restaurants, bar and other business owners can help keep employees and customers safe and healthy in a fun way using the latest technology from SASZONE, a new division of Plush Creative Agency, http://www.plushcalv.com/sas-zone. With demands to meet updated health guidelines, the team at Plush created MENU SQUARED using the latest QR code technology. MENU SQUARED, or M2 QR Code Technology, removes the need for disposable menus, provides a simple solution for customers and offers new marketing opportunities to operators and suppliers. “MENU SQUARED is a unique QR code system that is user-friendly, secure, easy for outlets and consumers to...

LONDON—A pasta straw company, Stroodles, has launched to provide an environmentally friendly solution to the single-use plastic crisis and rise of greenwashing from the paper straw industry. In comparison to soggy paper and plastic straws, Stroodles are an improvement as they provide greater durability, are flavourless, vegan, 100 percent biodegradable and are edible raw or cooked after use. A core principle for Stroodles is their “drink-easy” ethos, meaning drinkers don’t have to change behaviour or compromise on drinking experience to do good for the environment. Speaking about the inception of his pasta straws, Chief Stroodle and Founder, Maxim Gelmann, says: “While we’re...

RIVIERA BEACH, SINGER ISLAND, FLA.—Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa has earned Green Key Global’s ultimate honor: a 4 Green Keys rating. It is the first hotel in Palm Beach County to achieve the designation, which is reserved for hotels that show national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide-ranging policies and practices. Coupled with Marriott’s Commitment to Clean, spearheaded by the Marriott Cleanliness Council, the resort is committed to providing guests with a safe environment that aligns with expert protocols for working to defeat COVID-19. Green Key Global is a leading international environmental...

PALMA, SPAIN—In celebration of World Oceans Day today, Iberostar is creating a digital space for NGOs and industry alike to discuss why responsible seafood consumption is critical to the wellbeing of our planet. In its online conversation series “Riding the Wave,” these discussions will immediately follow Iberostar’s announcement of its roadmap for 100 percent responsible seafood consumption in its operations by 2025. The roadmap is one of the tourism sector’s most ambitious yet, not only valuing high-volume certified seafood but also building pathways for higher transparency in supply chains, elevating gastronomical excellence, supporting local fisheries, and engaging millions of...

TORONTO—Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has entered into a collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the global division of health care and research leader Johns Hopkins Medicine, to validate its new global health and safety program, Lead With Care, and provide ongoing, real-time guidance on the evolving COVID-19 situation. Grounded in the principles of care, trust and service, the Lead With Care program will be reviewed and validated by Johns Hopkins Medicine experts and implemented by teams at Four Seasons properties around the world. “Within this new environment, our singular goal is to provide guests, residents and employees with the confidence and...

NEW YORK—Equo Straws, the versatile eco-friendly alternative to plastic and paper straws, are now available on Kickstarter. They are biodegradable, uniquely functional to suit different tastes and behaviors, and made from all-natural ingredients. The Equo Team strove to produce a range of what is possible in the development of eco-friendly straws through the company’s innovative use of materials from nature. The multi-colored Equo Straws’ product line includes four choices with unique characteristics: Rice Straws—Made from rice and tapioca starch and available in plant-based, natural colors including white, green, pink, blue, yellow (After use, these can be cooked down and are fully...

Some random thoughts about a couple of matters after another interesting news week: A subtle but potentially significant change in how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discusses the importance of surface touching in the spread of COVID-19. Whereas it previously mentioned surface touching in the same breath as person-to-person contact, the CDC now lists touching infected surfaces under a section entitled, “The virus does not spread easily in other ways.” In a nutshell, touching surfaces or objects is now not thought to be a main way the virus spreads. “It may be possible that a person can...