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Publisher's Point of View

Each week, Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News, will address the hottest industry topics. Sometimes hard hitting, his column will challenge the industry’s leaders to take action. At other times, he will lift up the industry’s environmental champions. “Point of View” is a column you will not want to miss. To contact Glenn Hasek, call (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com

Publisher's Point of View

Home Publisher's Point of View
Each week, Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News, will address the hottest industry topics. Sometimes hard hitting, his column will challenge the industry’s leaders to take action. At other times, he will lift up the industry’s environmental champions. “Point of View” is a column you will not want to miss. To contact Glenn Hasek, call (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com

Worldwide Recycling Market Takes Dive Along With the Economy

As goes the economy, so goes the recycling markets. Have you heard any grumbling yet from the companies that collect your recyclables? The market for recyclables such as cardboard, plastic, newspaper, mixed paper and metals has collapsed. Waste collectors under contract to collect your recyclables for a fixed price are taking a beating and you may too once your waste collection contract comes up for renewal. Those collecting recyclables have been forced to accept rock-bottom prices or even pay to get rid of them. Some are storing their recyclables in warehouses, hoping that the market will turn around soon. Why...

Xanterra’s One-Megawatt Solar Installation is Alive and Well in Death Valley

This past week I had the opportunity to visit the site of the U.S. tourism industry’s largest solar installation. It is located in California in Death Valley National Park, the sunniest place in the country, and meets more than one-third of the annual electricity needs of Xanterra Parks & Resort’s Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort, golf course and employee offices and housing. The four-acre installation is located at the Ranch and is an impressive site with California’s Panamint Mountain Range as a backdrop for the 5,740 panels. You may be thinking that Death Valley is an ideal spot for...

U.K. Wind Turbine Maker Establishes U.S. Market Base

NEW YORK—A U.K. provider of small wind turbines is making a serious push into the North American market. Proven Energy Ltd now has an established network of staff, distributors, dealers and installers to provide renewable energy solutions for businesses throughout North America. “The market potential for small wind in North America is massive,” says Andrew McMullan, CEO of Proven Energy. “People are really tuning into issues of energy independence and putting an end to global warming. This is why we are investing heavily in developing growth here.” Proven Energy, a Scottish manufacturer, has 70 percent of the small wind market in...

Joie de Vivre’s New Site Helps Keep Company Competitive in California

Last week, Joie de Vivre, operator of 29 boutique hotels in California, launched Joie de Vivre Green Dreams, a new portal on its website. Joie de Vivre Green Dreams is also the name of the company’s environmental program. Be sure to check out this new website. Its design is appealing, user friendly and worth emulating. The site spells out the company’s environmental policy and provides links to green travel tips and helpful online resources. What is most unique about the site, however, is the property scorecard section. There, through a colored “leaf” system, Joie de Vivre reveals how far...

Greenbuild Exceeds Expectations in Boston, Draws 26,000 on First Day

I was fortunate to attend the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston for two days last week. For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it is the annual conference and trade show of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the creator of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program. When Greenbuild was first held in 2002, 4,000 people attended. Last year in Chicago, attendance was approximately 22,000. On the first day alone of this year’s event, more than 26,000 people packed the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. That was good news for...

Green Aura Surrounded 2008’s Version of IH/M&RS

This past week I had the opportunity to attend the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) in New York. For those of you who did not attend, you missed a great opportunity to learn about steps you can take and products you can purchase to increase your property’s profitability during these difficult times. According to Melissa Gray, marketing manager for the show, the event featured 2,250 exhibitor booths and drew 34,050 attendees. In years past, the show drew enough exhibitors to warrant two levels of exhibits. That has not happened for quite some time. The “green” exhibitors I spoke...

In the War Against Bedbugs, Emphasize Environmental Health & Safety

“Hush hush.” I heard that phrase several times while talking to suppliers of products that help to address bedbug infestations. Hotel, motel, resort and inn operators like to keep bedbug problems quiet and out of the news media, and off of the many websites that allow visitors to comment on their stays. I wouldn’t blame anyone at all for wanting to be silent; the little critters are a potential financial, public relations and legal nightmare. I was told stories about hoteliers having to rip out entire rooms in an attempt to get rid of the pests. I read articles...

Now is Not the Time to Play Lodging’s Version of Hide and Seek

Almost everyone who reads Green Lodging News is in one form of sales or another—whether one runs a lodging establishment or sells a product or service. As a sales representative for your company, you have to be constantly mindful of sales and networking opportunities. If you are doing your job well, you already have a great website, make sales calls relentlessly, are a member of the various local, state and national industry associations (and actually attend their meetings), and exhibit at and attend trade shows where purchasing decision makers congregate. If you are really smart, you take advantage of...

Decomposition Systems Can Simplify Food Waste Elimination Processes

I have always had an interest in composting—even when I was a child. What fruit and vegetable scraps I generate today are placed in a compost pile just outside my home. Every now and then, I add soil, relocate earthworms that I find to the pile, and turn everything over a few times. In a tiny way, I am helping to reduce the flow of food waste to the local landfill. If you happen to run a full-service hotel with a restaurant, bar and meeting space, food waste is obviously not so easy to manage. This past week I wrote...

Starbucks Incident a Good Lesson for Companies Talking the Green Talk

I suspect that most of you are familiar with the term “greenwashing”. According to Wikipedia, it is a term used to describe the perception of consumers that they are being misled by a company regarding its environmental practices or the environmental benefits of a product or service. (Picture a TV commercial that includes a Hummer driving through a pristine forest with birds singing and deer dancing.) Did you know that the term was born in the lodging industry? It is kind of embarrassing, but true. This is what Wikipedia has to say about the origin of the word: “Greenwashing was...