SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN—Believing that there is a moral obligation to conserve the natural environment is one thing; taking action towards green lodging practices and addressing eco issues head on is another. Proving it’s serious about the environment, Travelodge Hotel Saskatoon has taken strides forward to minimize its carbon footprint. With the help of local alternative energy company WSE Technologies and guidance from parent company Airline Hotels as well as the NRCAN/SRC, Saskatoon’s longest-standing north end business has installed a series of 57 solar collectors on its roof to capture the sun’s energy as thermal heat, which is then transferred indoors to...

DALTON, GA.—California consumer support is needed to ensure the success of a new, ground-breaking Carpet Product Stewardship Law that will increase the recycling of carpet into valuable new products, preserve landfill space, reduce dependency on fossil fuels and create green jobs in California communities. Signed into law on September 30, 2010, AB 2398 is the first product stewardship law in the country to specifically address carpet. Beginning July 1, a $.05 per square yard stewardship assessment will be added to the sale of all carpet sold or shipped into California. The assessment will appear as a separate, after-tax line item...

NATIONAL REPORT—Bathroom ventilation systems recently introduced by leading suppliers are making it easier than ever to save energy and money while still keeping bathrooms free of odors and moisture. There was a time when fans were noisy and consumed up to 144 watts. Today they are almost as quiet as a mouse and can use as little as 4 watts—a dramatic difference. Motion sensors are now available with some models and turn off fans left running by guests. With some fans, a humidity sensor is included. This ensures that the fan continues to run until the humidity reaches a...

ATLANTA—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) announced the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the annual Stars of the Industry Awards, which honor stand-out initiatives at hotel properties. In a ceremony held during the AH&LA Summer Summit at the Hyatt Regency, these awards, which have been awarded annually since 1966, distinguish individual hotels that have developed outstanding programs, events, and campaigns. Winners were chosen in the categories of Good Earthkeeping, Guest Relations, Community Service, Special Events, Diversity, and Technology. Winning the Good Earthkeeping, Small Property award is Hotel George in Washington, D.C., for their work implementing Kimpton’s...

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—A new study published in the Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine finds that the use of HEPA (high efficiency particle air) filters can reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel disease. The researchers found that the HEPA filters reduce the amount of airborne particulate matter in the air. Doing so results in improved blood flow and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The tests involved 45 adults and were conducted in 25 Canadian homes over a two-week period. HEPA filtration systems were added to the homes’ heating and HVAC systems. Concentrations of airborne particulates in the...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The Convention Industry Council announced that the APEX-led initiative to create standards for environmentally sustainable events has crossed an important milestone. Eight of the nine draft standards have completed review by the ASTM committee where they have been under development. This final vote marks the completion of the consensus process for the development of the standards and clears them for final approval and ratification as official ASTM Standards. “CIC is thrilled to report that the project has reached this stage,” said Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP, chief executive officer of the Convention Industry Council. “This is a major accomplishment for...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International has been named the greenest hotel company in the United Kingdom by retaining its top 10 position in The Sunday Times 60 Best Green Companies in Britain list for 2011. Marriott, achieving a ranking of ninth on the list, has also won the award for Best Employee Environmental Engagement for the second year running, in addition to becoming the only hotel company in Britain to reach the top 10 ranking in the poll. Marriott International branded hotels in the United Kingdom (U.K.) have invested considerably in their environmental programs and initiatives; achieving three prestigious certifications—the Carbon Trust...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—In response to a growing demand for independently-verified sustainable furnishing fabrics, NSF International, an independent developer of American National Standards that protect public health and the environment, has developed an official American national standard for sustainable commercial furnishing fabrics—NSF/ANSI 336: Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric. Developing national standards by which to measure a product’s sustainability attributes brings transparency and credibility to the sustainability marketplace and helps eliminate greenwashing. Independent, third-party organizations can now certify commercial furnishing fabrics against the new Sustainable Commercial Furnishings standard to verify the furnishing fabrics are sustainable. This satisfies a growing demand from...

MALILANGWE WILDLIFE RESERVE—Singita Pamushana in Zimbabwe’s Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve was recently named Global Winner in the conservation category of the sixth annual World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The award was presented at WTTC’s annual Global Travel & Tourism Summit. One of Singita Game Reserve’s nine low-impact/high-end game lodges in Southern and East Africa, Singita Pamushana is often referred to as “one of Southern Africa’s best kept secrets.” It was selected as winner in this prestigious global competition amongst two other outstanding finalists in the Conservation category: Frégate Island Private in the Seychelles; and The Jane...

CHICAGO—Hyatt last week announced Hyatt Thrive, the company’s global corporate responsibility platform, designed to help make communities places where Hyatt associates are proud to work, where guests want to visit, where neighbors want to live and where hotel owners want to invest. Hyatt Thrive builds on Hyatt’s history of community engagement and environmental stewardship by empowering more than 85,000 Hyatt associates at more than 450 properties around the world to do one thing: thrive. Hyatt Thrive is grounded in four key pillars that Hyatt believes are crucial to foster thriving communities: • Environmental sustainability: Reducing resource consumption, waste and emissions, and protecting...