CORAL GABLES, FLA.—Greener alternatives to paper, plastic or polystyrene plates, cups, bowls, utensils and other items have been available to the hospitality market for years, but none may be as unique as those developed by Poland-based Biotrem. “We make innovative products from wheat bran,” the company’s website says. And yes, it is edible. Biotrem’s wheat bran tableware production process was invented by Jerzy Wysocki, whose family’s milling traditions date back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Biotrem’s modern production facility offers a wide range of fully biodegradable tableware and cutlery produced from natural wheat bran. Made in Poland, the items...

Commercial ice makers—the kind you see in hotel hallways, restaurants, and hospitals—can churn out anywhere from 50 pounds to 4,000 pounds of ice every day. They can produce regular cubes, ice nuggets for drink machines, or soft flakes used in supermarket displays, and they use a lot of water and energy to do it. As of last month, thanks to updated efficiency standards, almost every new ice maker sold in the United States will use 10 to 25 percent less energy. Sunday (January 28) was the day that the Department of Energy’s (DOE) efficiency standard for automatic commercial ice makers went into...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association released the 2018 edition of The State of Restaurant Sustainability to highlight sustainability efforts by restaurant operators. The report provides the latest trends in environmental practices in the restaurant industry, along with consumer insights. It aims to help restaurant operations of all types and sizes understand what other restaurateurs are doing to begin or continue their own sustainability journey. The Association surveyed more than 500 restaurant owners and operators about their sustainability efforts, opportunities and challenges. More than 1,000 consumers also were surveyed about the best ways restaurants can communicate their sustainability initiatives to their...

SAN DIEGO—Jackson Design and Remodeling (JDR), an award-winning San Diego-based design build remodeling firm, announced that Senior Interior Designer Alison Green and her team of fellow Thirty Under 30 honorees were the winners at this year’s “Product of the Future” competition held during the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Orlando, Fla. in January. The prestigious National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Thirty Under 30 recognizes 30 outstanding young professional designers from across the country who possess the passion, creativity and brilliance to be the voice of the next generation of kitchen and bath experts. This year for the first...

ORTING, WASH.—Baxter, the commercial oven manufacturer, is introducing the VersaOven, a new type of kitchen equipment that combines the best features of rotisserie, convection and combi ovens into a space-saving oven category all its own. Built with patent-pending technology to offer versatility, performance and intuitive operation, the VersaOven enables cooking, baking and steaming without the difficulty of operation that can come with combi ovens, or the arduous cleanup that can be a hallmark of convection ovens. “The Baxter VersaOven is truly unique because it handles so many kinds of food and styles of cooking with terrific results,” said Chef Michelle Bridges,...

It takes a lot for me to call a new product or process a game changer in our industry but the new recyclable—yes recyclable—sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers being produced by Pürlin, LLC are just that. Can you imagine reducing your laundry load and related costs by about 50 percent? Offering your guests linens that are high quality, hypoallergenic and that have never been used by any other guest—every single time a guest stays in that room? My article posted this past week explains these new products. I had a chance to sit down and chat with the lodging...

One is a distillery with an inn. The other is a lodge with a distillery located next door. Natural booze is the common theme. In case you did not read it on Green Lodging News, last July the Marble Distilling Co. & The Distillery Inn was named as a 2017 Green Hotelier Award Winner and the only North American property to be recognized. The business is in Carbondale, Colo. If you go to the enterprise’s website, it is clear the primary business is a distillery but there are also five luxury hotel suites available. The Marble Distilling Company’s motto is “Drink Sustainably”....

NEW YORK—Downtown Camper, a signature hotel within the Scandic portfolio, will open its doors to the adventurous traveler in early 2018. Located in the heart of one of Stockholm’s most unexplored neighborhoods, and adjacent to Brunkeburg Square, the hotel is the ultimate basecamp for urban explorers and global travelers. Downtown Camper takes an outdoorsy and social approach to hospitality with a focus on spontaneity, relaxation, and togetherness, empowering guests to discover the wonders of Stockholm. Guests are encouraged to pluck a complimentary kayak from the lobby and explore Stockholm’s breathtaking archipelago, or grab a bike and tour Gamla Stan’s...

SARASOTA, FLA.—Hotel industry veteran Richard Ferrell, President of Pürlin, LLC, is aiming to revolutionize how sheets and pillow cases are managed in hotels across the United States. His company’s linens are not laundered; instead, after being used by a guest they are picked up to be 100 percent recycled. Made of high-quality microfibers designed to simulate cotton—the same as those used in products such as baby diapers and athletic wear—the sheets and pillowcases are produced and recycled by companies based in Florida and North Carolina. Once heated to 500+ degrees Fahrenheit, the linens are liquefied and become the ingredients...

LAS VEGAS—Yesterday, MGM Resorts International, in partnership with Three Square Food Bank, announced a new standardized program for safe collection, preservation and service of surplus banquet food that will help reduce hunger in Southern Nevada. This new program, in which MGM Resorts donates surplus (prepared but unserved) hot banquet food to Three Square, is expected to provide 800,000 nutritious meals by 2020 to people combating hunger. Food insecurity is one of the most serious public health challenges in the United States, according to statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture. One in seven Americans is unable to meet their...