LAS VEGAS—Caesars Entertainment Corp. was awarded its sixth consecutive perfect rating from the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index. The Corporate Equality Index scores businesses based on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workplace policies.“To have received a perfect rating from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation on its Corporate Equality Index for the sixth consecutive year is a great honor,” said Fred Keeton, vice president of external affairs and chief diversity officer for Caesars Entertainment. “Our unwavering commitment to diversity initiatives and our industry leading approach to LGBT workplace equality will continue to be a mainstay and guiding principle...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—With its history going back more than 100 years, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has long been the voice and gathering place for those in the U.S. lodging industry. Recognizing the explosion in interest in sustainability over the past several years, AH&LA, under the guidance of Patrick Maher, partner, The Maher Group, has beefed up the Green Resource Center on its website and increased its participation in and leadership around industry-wide green initiatives.“In 2011 and 2012, AH&LA saw a major increase in sustainability programs being used by members,” Maher says.It was a little more than four...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International recently completed the largest employee-donated canned food drive received by Three Square Food Bank, with the delivery of the last of a donation of more than 189 tons of canned food. This is the third consecutive year MGM Resorts employees have set a new canned food drive record with Three Square, nearly doubling last year’s giving.In a special ceremony held at the food bank, MGM Resorts and Three Square celebrated the milestone donation made by MGM Resorts and its employees. The event was held at the “MGM Resorts Volunteer Room”, a room vital to the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Interest in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, part of its Sustainable Materials Management Program, is picking up with the addition of participants including hotels, resorts, convention centers, entertainment venues, and other facilities. Organizations joining the program must commit to at least a 5 percent increase in at least one of the three food diversion categories: prevention, donation or composting. Or alternatively, they can commit to a combined 5 percent increase across all three food waste diversion categories. If a participant does not have food diversion data, the EPA says it will assist the organization in developing a program...

PHUKET, THAILAND—Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa teamed up with its affiliate dive center Sub Aqua Dive Center, as a boat sponsor of Go Eco Phuket’s “Dive Against Debris” as part of the resort’s commitment to protecting, conserving, and restoring Phuket’s natural environment.“Dive Against Debris”, the world’s largest reef cleanup, was organized by Go Eco Phuket (the dive centers of Phuket united as one) with the support of PADI and Project Aware. Held this fall, the event involved 502 participants, more than 300 of which were divers, 20 local dive centers, 14 dive boats, the Royal Thai Navy, the...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Trash and luxury travel are topics rarely uttered in the same sentence, but the two have been linked as the Four Seasons Hotel Austin undertakes one of the most ambitious waste diversion initiatives in the country—by a hotel or otherwise. On November 30, the hotel launched its new Zero Waste program, a goal two years in the planning.“The amount of passion and dedication that’s already gone into developing this initiative is inspiring,” says general manager Rob Hagelberg. “I’m so proud to be part of a team that’s truly breaking new environmental ground in the state of Texas and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Many foam sofa cushions in the United States contain flame-retardants known to pose risks to human health, according to a new peer-reviewed study released late last month. Researchers at Duke University and University of California found that 85 percent of couches contained toxic or untested flame-retardants, some of which are linked to cancer. In response, business leaders from the Sustainable Furnishings Council, the Specialty Sleep Assn., and the American Sustainable Business Council said that chemical regulations must be improved in order to support public health and a healthy economy.“Our way of protecting consumers from toxic chemicals is broken,”...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers), scheduled for February 7 to 9 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center, will feature more than 500 exhibitors, many of whom will display the latest in energy-efficient foodservice equipment. More than 125 companies will participate in the WHAT’S HOT! WHAT’S COOL! new product gallery. This gallery will showcase new products offering benefits such as labor savings, sanitation, green benefits, food safety, reduced life cycle costs and more.New to the show this year is an educational session entitled, “LEED Basics for Foodservice.” The session will be held...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The GBTA Foundation, the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and Project ICARUS announce the first Outstanding Achievement Awards for Sustainability in business travel and meetings across North America.The Project ICARUS Global Advisory Board and Sustainability Committee looks to recognize travel buyers, suppliers and intermediaries who can demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to delivering best in class sustainability programs, product and services across North America.“This year we have seen an increase in the number of companies building sustainability into their business travel and meetings programs and we are thrilled to recognize those...

Turner Construction just released the results of its 2012 Market Barometer Survey. A total of 718 executives participated in the survey. They represented the following types of companies: architecture (49 percent), construction (19 percent), real estate consulting (11 percent), corporate owner-occupant (9 percent), developer (9 percent), engineering (9 percent), real estate owners (7 percent), corporate tenant (3 percent), and broker/real estate service provider (2 percent). Eighty-four percent of respondents said their companies were committed to environmentally-sustainable practices. Executives were most likely to cite financial factors as being important to their companies’ decisions on whether to incorporate green features in...