CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Cambridge, a leader in innovation and technology, recently announced plans to become America’s greenest city. Cambridge is the first city to make such an aggressive move with green initiatives. The city has several partners. Two organizations in particular have helped to make Cambridge’s transformation possible: the Cambridge Climate Protection Plan (CCPP) and the Cambridge Climate Leader Program (CCLP). The Climate Protection Plan, developed by Climate Protection Task Force and city staff, has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below the 1990 levels by 2010. This initiative plans to tackle issues such as greenhouse gas emissions,...

ATLANTA—IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) midscale extended-stay hotel brand, Candlewood Suites, diverted nearly 260 tons of material from landfills during bedding renovations at 55 hotels this summer. Candlewood Suites worked in partnership with the National Furniture Bank Assn. (NFBA) to repurpose the box springs and linens to benefit approximately 4,300 families across the U.S. An additional benefit of the reuse program was a cumulative savings of more than $100,000 in disposal fees. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, during the past 35 years the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.4 pounds per...

SAN JUAN, P.R.—Each year, September is recognized as World Tourism Month, culminating with the celebration of World Tourism Day on September 27. The Caribbean Hotel Assn. (CHA) will promote various activities throughout the region to commemorate the occasion, with special emphasis on the World Tourism Organization’s chosen theme for 2007, “Tourism opens doors for women,” in recognition of women’s impact on the growth and development of the tourism industry. “The Caribbean tourism industry is blessed with a tremendous pool of strong, successful women, many of whom have climbed the career ladder one step at a time, purely on the strength...

OSHKOSH, WISC.—Continental Girbau Inc.’s E-Series Washer-Extractors—in 40-, 30- and 20-pound capacities—deliver energy efficiency, high-speed extract, an easy-to-install, freestanding design, and the ultimate in programmability to hotels looking to employ green practices while decreasing operating expenses. With the introduction of E-Series, Continental expands its soft-mount washer-extractor offering to include high-performance models in 20-, 30-, 40-, 55-, 90-, 130- and 255-pound capacities. Continental’s E-Series Washer-Extractors are engineered to use less water than most frontload and topload washers on the market, thanks to exclusive features and a sump-less design. The Energy Star-qualified 20-pound capacity model uses up to 57 percent less water per...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Guestroom 2010 will return to the 92nd annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), showcasing the cutting-edge innovations and eco-friendly new products that will soon be found in hotel guestrooms. The model hotel room, developed by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), will feature nearly 50 of the latest and near-future technologies at the industry’s premier marketplace, taking place November 10-13, 2007, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. “Guestroom 2010 is a unique presentation of the remarkable new products that will make the hotel experience more efficient, comfortable and earth-friendly,” says Christian Falkenberg, IH/M&RS...

ATLANTA—Healthy and sustainable buildings are the talk of the building industry, but what exactly defines what a healthy building is? ASHRAE will discuss this and other topics at its IAQ 2007: Healthy and Sustainable Buildings conference in Baltimore. The event will be held Oct. 15 to 17. IAQ 2007 will address what tools and metrics can be used to quantify buildings’ health and sustainability and how indoor air quality can be certified as sustainable. Plenary session speakers will compare the functionality of rating systems, how they can be improved and what information other than the ratings can developers, designers and...

LEXINGTON, KY—With nearly 100 million active spa-goers globally, the spa community casts a large net. Affecting society, the economy, culture and the environment, spa is synonymous with healthy lifestyles. And the eco-conscious roots of the industry are growing deeper still. “Environmental consciousness has always been there for the spa community,” says International SPA Association Chairman Jim Root. “Sustainability is in the fabric of spa. Sustainability is based on the very same ideals as the timeless values of spa and Salus Per Aquum. Sustainability is not a passing fad; it’s a deliberate lifestyle for those who work in...

NATIONAL REPORT—Most people do not believe there is a serious shortage of potable domestic water in the United States. Because of our massive natural resource of fresh water, to some degree they are correct. While the problem may not be a shortage of water overall, the more serious problem is that much of the water is not in the major metropolitan areas where most of it is consumed. For example, you will never convince hotel operators in Florida, Southern California and Arizona that there is a sufficient supply of water, because they are already experiencing droughts and shortages. When these...

In part one of this article (click here), I addressed how one can conserve water and cut costs in guestroom areas and building exteriors. In part two I will focus on kitchen, laundry, pool and spa, public restroom, and cooling tower opportunities. In the Kitchen The single largest user and waster of water in hotel kitchens is the dishwashing machine. The most serious problem occurs when the fill valve is not functioning properly and the machine is constantly trying to fill itself. The easiest way to inspect for this is to listen for a continuous sound of running water. When possible,...

NATIONAL REPORT—In the areas of your hotel that guests rarely see—offices, kitchens, corridors, stairwells, storage rooms—there is no need to keep the lights burning 24 hours a day. Yes, in some hotels there is activity in those spaces around the clock but certainly not constantly. During those times when workers are not present, why not employ lighting control systems to turn out the lights, save energy and reduce costs? Inevitably, power plants will not have to work so hard, which means less pollution and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Carlos Villialobos, senior product manager for Wattstopper/Legrand in Santa Clara, Calif., says...