NATIONAL REPORT—Much has been written about the many millions of partially used bars of soap and amenity bottles disposed of each year. Thanks to Clean the World and other nonprofits, a sizable amount of that waste is now being repurposed. But what about k cups, those little single-serve beverage (mostly coffee) pods used in Keurig Green Mountain brewers? According to research by data firm NPD Group, 40 percent of Canadian homes have a single-serving coffee brewer. In the United States that number is closer to 30 percent. An estimated 20+ billion k cups will be consumed in 2015. Many...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water laundry system, announced recently that it is helping five California-based businesses reduce water usage by up to 80 percent in their laundry operations. To put this in context, laundry operations in hotels represent 20 percent of their overall water usage. The California Althletic Club, Stanford Park Hotel, Quality Inn Petaluma, Fairfield Inn Sebastopol, and Hilton Universal are all using the Xeros polymer bead laundry systems. Xeros has also signed eight pioneering commercial laundry equipment distributors in California. These flagship partners are now selling, installing and servicing Xeros’ near-waterless laundry systems.In addition...

VICTORIA, B.C.—AP Plastics Inc. is rolling out its newest single-cup capsule displays for hotel rooms. The 4 and 6 hole (SCF4 & SCF6) K-Cup holders will be part of their proprietary Guest Room Single Cup Display System, and will be available to ship this month.The new “ship flat” displays are manufactured in North America with 100 percent reprocessed and recyclable plastic. Their unique “click open” design reduces both packaging and freight costs.“With the hotel industry commitment to green sourcing, finding appropriate sustainable single cup amenities has been problematic,” says Darren Warner, Marketing Director, AP Plastics Inc. “The new SCF...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—G-Kup, a Vancouver based start-up focused on sustainable packaging, announces the closing of its initial seed round comprised of several well-known U.S. and Canadian investors including The Charles Edison Fund (The Edison Fund invested as part of their new mandate of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship), Arlene Dickinson (CEO of Venture Communications and District Ventures, and formerly Dragons’ Den), and Lance Tracey (Co-Founder of Peer 1 and Sutton Group Realty).The initial funding will fuel G-Kup’s commercialization of its 100 percent compostable single serve coffee pod.The G-Kup, which has a rigid design similar to licensed Keurig brands, will work in...

DENVER—Showcasing more than a decade of leadership while taking on the challenge of climate change, global hospitality company Xanterra Parks & Resorts has released its 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, defining and measuring its innovative sustainability improvements. The report also announces ambitious stretch targets for the next decade.The report presents details of improvements measured against goals announced in 2004. The company tracks its environmental performance across all aspects of its operations using an ISO 14001 audited program launched in 2002.Xanterra entities include lodges, restaurants, tours and activities in national and state parks, as well as resorts, a cruise line,...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—International Paper single-use food packaging products now include paper lids. The company announced the launch of new fiber-based lids, a first of its kind to be manufactured in North America, to fit many of the high-quality paper food containers produced by the Foodservice division. The one-piece container covers are specially designed with sustainability, ease of use, and branding possibilities in mind.“More and more customers are looking to take their environmental commitment one step further—they are looking for a total fiber package,” said Tracy Pearson, Vice President and General Manager, Foodservice. “The paper lid is a milestone for the...

NEW YORK—The de Blasio administration earlier this month announced a proposal to require large-scale commercial food establishments to separate organic waste. Food scraps and other organic material makes up one-third of all commercial waste, and diverting this material from landfills—to be used as a soil amendment through composting or as feedstock for clean, renewable energy through anaerobic digestion—will be a critical opportunity for New York City. The City laid out an ambitious plan to send zero waste to landfills and reduce waste disposal by 90 percent relative to 2005 levels, by 2030 in “One New York: The Plan for...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Continental Girbau Inc. recently recognized two distributors for outstanding on-premise laundry sales and service. Coronet Equipment LTD, in Edmonton, Alberta, received the Canadian Distributor of the Year Award, while Darling’s Sales & Service Co., in Blaine, Minn., earned Continental’s On-premise Laundry Distributor of the Year Award. Coronet is a full-service distributorship handling Continental on-premise and vended laundry equipment distribution in Saskatchewan and the Northern Canadian territories. Coronet helps evaluate and design on-premise laundries with equipment to meet the specific efficiency, labor and productivity needs of a range of businesses—from commercial and industrial laundries, to laundries at hospitals, hotels, fire...

NEW YORK—To mark its centennial anniversary, the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) is unveiling a new brand and mission to better capture the dynamic innovation of the hospitality industry. HX: The Hotel Experience—Rooms to Restaurants (HX), will debut November 8 to 10, 2015 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City and represents a bold new strategic direction.This multimillion-dollar investment aimed at revitalizing the largest hospitality trade event in North America is founded on the belief that true hospitality is anticipating a guest’s needs to create a memorable and unique experience. To achieve that, HX...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Delaware North, one of the largest hospitality management companies serving national and state parks, recently announced a lineup of environmentally-friendly initiatives it is implementing across its parks and resorts properties this summer.Among its efforts, Delaware North is expanding a partnership with Tesla, completing a restoration project at an iconic attraction at Niagara Falls State Park and planting the company’s greenhouse for its hospitality operations near Yellowstone National Park. In August, the company will for the first time host a sustainability conference for its environmental managers.Delaware North began its environmental stewardship efforts in the early 1990s at Yosemite National...