BURBANK, CALIF.—The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF)—Disney’s granting program focused on protecting wildlife and connecting kids and families with nature—has announced its 2014 conservation grant recipients.This year, $3.5 million in grants will benefit wildlife and habitats spanning five continents—from African lions in Tanzania and elephants in China to giant armadillos in Brazil and monk seals in Hawaii.“For nearly two decades, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has supported crucial work to address threats that face wildlife, critical habitats and the communities that depend upon them,” said Beth Stevens, Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, Environment & Conservation. “As we seek...

LAS VEGAS—Approximately one month remains until the second annual Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference & Expo. The event will be held Tuesday, October 28 through Thursday, October 30 at the LEED Gold and Green Key certified ARIA Resort & Casino. The event, with about 50 speakers and 40 exhibitors, will feature many educational and networking opportunities. If you have not yet registered for the Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference & Expo, contact Alisha Allen at Lodging Magazine at (215) 321-9662, ext. 62, or by e-mail at aallen@lodgingmagazine.com. Mention Green Lodging News and receive $100 off of the $495 registration...

WASHINGTON—The National Restaurant Association unveiled new research that shows a substantial number of operators are implementing sustainability best practices into their businesses. The survey of 1,000 full-service and quick-service operators found that nearly three quarters of operators recycled used fryer oil, fats and grease. More than six in 10 recycled their cardboard and paper, used compact fluorescent lighting and bought products made of recycled materials. About three in 10 installed faucet aerators to conserve water.“More operators are looking at ways to increase efficiency—environmentally and fiscally,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, National Restaurant Association. “Restaurateurs...

DEATH VALLEY, CALIF.—In keeping with its “pillars of sustainability,” the AAA Four Diamond Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley National Park has enacted a series of initiatives designed to minimize the impact of its operations and of its guests. The resort has put in place programs to reduce waste and water usage, generate electricity and offer sustainable choices to its guests.Those efforts are working as the resort reports solid waste has been reduced by 44 percent, water usage has dropped 19 percent and electricity use is down 18 percent since 2010. In that same time period sustainably sourced food...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is redesigning its Design for the Environment Safer Product Label to better convey to consumers that products bearing the label meet the program’s rigorous standard to be safer for people and the environment. “We want consumers to be able to easily find safer products that work well,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “The agency wants to hear from the American people on which designs will help people identify household cleaning and other products that are safer for families and the environment.” The redesigned label is intended to...

NEW YORK—The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Sustainability Committee has added a session entitled, “Measuring Hotel Carbon Footprints Using HCMI Methodology,” to the lineup of sessions at the Hospitality Leadership Forum which leads up to the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS). The session will take place from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 8 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. IHMRS will take place at the Javits Center from Sunday, November 9 through Tuesday, November 11.Pat Maher, partner, The Maher Group, LLC, will moderate the panel discussion that will include:...

HONG KONG—Cosmo Hotel Hong Kong has a newly launched green floor. All of the guestrooms located on the green floor are stocked with a range of natural in-room amenities. Cosmo Hotel Hong Kong is also one of the few certified green hotels in Hong Kong to have introduced a 100 percent indoor smoke-free policy in the entire hotel property.Designed to accommodate the growing demand for eco-tourists visiting Hong Kong, all green rooms are equipped with a set of Tarocco skin care and hair care products, and a natural range of products rich in vitamin C and antioxidants with the...

BETHESDA, MD.—A Woman’s Nation (AWN), together with Marriott International, announced that Marriott International will be the first partner in AWN’s The Envelope Please initiative, which is designed to encourage and enable hotel guests to express their gratitude by leaving tips and notes of thanks for hotel room attendants in designated envelopes provided in hotel rooms. Hotel room attendants often go unnoticed, as they silently care for the millions of travelers who are on the road at any given time. Because hotel guests do not always see or interact with room attendants, their hard work is many times overlooked when...

SHAWANO, WIS.—The NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Committee announced the addition of four sponsors to support the return of its popular Green Voice Conversation Webinars on Friday, September 26.  Thanks to the support of Global Lighting, JLF Lone Meadow Furniture, Northwest Carpets, and Valley Forge Fabrics, the live webinar sessions are easy to attend using any computer and phone. The webinars will feature two CEU-accredited panel discussions, one in the morning, and another in the afternoon. Both webinars are suited for a wide audience of architects, interior designers, purchasing agents, hoteliers, suppliers, and educators to the industry and include six industry...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, continued to demonstrate its leadership in sustainability best practices in 2013, reducing its operationally controlled asset water usage globally by 16 percent per square foot and its carbon emissions by 13 percent per square foot from the 2010 baseline. In the company’s fourth year of formal sustainability reporting, its 2013 Sustainability Responsibility Report details its strong commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. Wyndham Worldwide is one of the first hospitality companies to use the progressive G4 Sustainability Reporting Structure to report its economic, environmental and social performance.“Our...