ORLANDO, FLA.—The world’s only large-scale recyclers of hotel soap have combined their operations and charitable efforts. Clean the World and Global Soap have contributed to a 30 percent reduction in pre-adolescent deaths from hygiene-related illnesses since 2009. Now consolidated under the Clean the World banner, they join forces to improve even more lives through an integrated social enterprise. The blended organization capitalizes on strengths developed separately by each group over the past six years. Under the new operating structure, Clean the World Foundation manages all soap and plastic bottle collection and recycling in North America, while Clean the World Asia...

ATLANTA—Taking green meetings to the next level, The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, the largest Green Seal Silver Level certified convention hotel in the Southeast, is launching the Green Tour. This new on-site specialty event for meeting attendees provides a behind-the-scenes look at the sustainability, conservation and environmental efficiency efforts in the John Portman-designed AAA Four Diamond hotel. From event serveware made of leaves to the Go Green Racing teambuilding activity and single-stream recycling system, The Westin Peachtree Plaza is redefining what it means to be green. “Environmental stewardship is increasingly important to meeting planners and attendees when selecting a...

BETHESDA, MD.—Courtyard by Marriott announced a national partnership with National Academy Foundation (NAF) launching its Success for Youth program that activates its commitment made to the Clinton Global Initiative that promises to provide 30,000 volunteer hours and engage with 10,000 students in three years. The announcement was made at the Courtyard by Marriott bi-annual General Managers Conference, in Washington, D.C. where more than 200 NAF students conducted informational interviews with 800 general managers who were in attendance. The Success for Youth program will engage Courtyard hotels across the country with NAF students through a series of work-based learning activities....

NEW YORK—Restorative Hospitality, a subsidiary of the wellness real estate firm Delos, and Leonardo DiCaprio have announced plans to create the world’s most sustainable island resort at Blackadore Caye, Belize. Upon its completion in 2018, Blackadore Caye will be the greenest island resort ever built, the business partners say, and the world’s first “Restorative Island” project designed with sustainable building techniques that restore and regenerate the surrounding ecosystem and reverse the effects of climate change. The project is being developed by Restorative Islands, LLC, designed by McLennan Design and operated by Restorative Hospitality, which will also manage the wellness...

MIAMI—Miami based Trust Hospitality announced that the Islamorada Resort Co., comprised of Amara Cay Resort, Postcard Inn Beach Resort at Holiday Isle, Pelican Cove Resort & Marina, and La Siesta Resort, has partnered with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) to raise funds for the organization. The nonprofit conservation organization is dedicated to creating offshore nurseries and restoration programs for threatened coral species. Islamorada Resort Company will help raise funds for CRF through guest donations and a matching fund.“With our recent entry into Islamorada, we wanted to find a way to give back to the local community,” said Patrick Goddard,...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide announced that it will begin to eliminate the use of cages for egg-laying chickens and gestation crates for breeding pigs in its global food supply chain. The announcement was made in conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation’s largest animal protection organization.  Initially all hotels in the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton brands will be required to switch all egg usage to cage-free by December 31, 2017, ensuring that chickens are not confined in cages. All...

TUMWATER, WASH.—The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) is a free methodology and calculation tool to enable hotels to measure and report on the carbon footprint of a hotel stay or meeting in a consistent way. In partnership with the Association of Green Property Owners and Managers (AGPOM), the International Tourism Partnership is offering an invitation to participate in a free webinar where one can learn, step-by-step, how to use HCMI to calculate the carbon footprint of a hotel stay or meeting in order to: •    Provide carbon footprint information your customers are increasingly requesting; •    Understand your environmental impacts and...

SACRAMENTO—Following the lowest snowpack ever recorded and with no end to the drought in sight, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday announced actions that will save water, increase enforcement to prevent wasteful water use, streamline the state’s drought response and invest in new technologies that will make California more drought resilient.“Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be five feet of snow,” said Governor Brown. “This historic drought demands unprecedented action. Therefore, I’m issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state. As Californians, we must pull together and save water in every way...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—UNCF (United Negro College Fund), one of the United States’ leading minority scholarship organizations, announced a $1 million commitment from The Walt Disney Co. to provide scholarships to outstanding African American students and give them the tools to realize their professional goals.The Walt Disney Co. UNCF Corporate Scholars Program, administered by UNCF, will offer financial assistance to high-achieving African American students in underserved communities across the country, while expanding educational and career resources for them.“UNCF works to ensure our future leaders have the opportunity to obtain the college degrees they need, and our nation needs them to have,”...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Green Venue Report, a leading group of event industry professionals committed to the advancement of venue sustainability, announces the launch of the second annual survey to compare sustainability practices and performance across convention and exhibition centers worldwide. Venues are invited to participate in the multi-question survey at no cost beginning April 1 at www.greenvenuereport.com.The 2015 Green Venue Report will offer these results in a comprehensive overview of convention centers around the world, building on the participation and momentum of the 2014 report. The report compares green performance over a wide range of areas, including: energy efficiency, waste management,...