PALAU—The Palau Bureau of Tourism, Sustainable Travel International, and Slow Food have launched a new project in Palau that aims to mitigate the tourism sector’s carbon footprint and establish Palau as the world’s first “Carbon Neutral Tourism Destination.” The project is taking an innovative destination-level approach that includes promoting local food production within tourism and developing a carbon management program for tourists. This project supports the objectives of the Coalition of Fragile Ecosystems (COFE) and International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and has been endorsed by various government agencies, including Palau’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism; Ministry...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced that the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) Standard 2.0 for Lodging and Tour Operators in Costa Rica has achieved the “GSTC-Recognized Standard” status. The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), established by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute in 1997, was created to provide guidelines for hotel properties and service providers to build their business model based on the best sustainable tourism practices—the management and impact of the natural, cultural and social resources of the country. CST has a validity of two years and the criteria and indicators that are valued to award certification...

Names: Alex Smith and Leigh Deforest Titles: Alex: Director of Social Purpose and Analytics; Leigh: Social Purpose and Sustainability Manager Company: Legacy Vacation Resorts, Orlando, Fla. Years in Current Position: Alex: Nine months; Leigh: Four months Primary Responsibilities: Alex: “Ensuring that Legacy Vacation Resorts is achieving the highest social purpose impact possible, supporting team fundamentals, helping to work through objectives, and communicating with the leadership team.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: Alex: “Becoming a B Corp. was a big step. It took a lot to certify and get tested.” Organization’s most significant challenge moving forward in global corporate responsibility: Alex: “Team...

NIKKO, JAPAN—The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C today announced the opening of the latest hotel to join its luxury Asia Pacific portfolio, The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko. The property—set amidst a UNESCO World Heritage Site—introduces a new level of luxury to the destination, with an experience marked by an emphasis on immersing oneself in the majestic natural surroundings. Ideally located in the Northern Kanto region of Japan, The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko is set two and a half hours north of Tokyo, accessible by rail or car, and is a true oasis promising access to a breadth of outdoor activities and cultural experiences. It features...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has released its eleventh annual sustainability report. The 2019 corporate sustainability report focuses on the company’s people-centric approach to sustainability: sustainability. The report highlights Shaw’s achievements related to Cradle to Cradle Certified products, material health assessment, carbon footprint reduction and numerous other interconnected aspects of sustainability. It does so while acknowledging the unprecedented circumstances of 2020 that will continue to shape how the company strives to create a better future for its associates, customers, and communities. “It’s impossible to reflect on 2019 without acknowledging the unprecedented circumstances we’ve each faced personally and professionally thus far in...

CARLSBAD, CALIF.—The Sacred Crafts announces the launch of its Kudmai Wood Flooring collection, setting a new standard for engineered, reclaimed wood products. With a focus on sustainability, The Sacred Crafts team is thrilled to introduce their responsibly sourced materials to the design world and bring environmentally friendly product into homes and businesses. Dedicated to producing as little waste as possible, The Sacred Crafts sources excess materials that were once useful, but have lost their original purpose. In doing so, they are also motivated by the untold stories that these materials hold and the potential to breathe new life into materials...

MIDLAND, MICH.—If stacked, mattresses discarded in Europe every year would exceed the height of Mount Everest—by 678 times. Approximately 30 million mattresses are thrown away, and most of this bulky, non-biodegradable waste-stream ends up in the landfill. Through its RENUVA Mattress Recycling Program, Dow aims to reduce this mountain of waste by giving polyurethane (PU) foam from end-of-life mattresses a new life. The program will take discarded mattress foam and turn it back into raw material (polyols) through chemical recycling, the process of converting waste into feedstock. The new raw material will then be used in flexible or rigid foam products...

NATIONAL REPORT—Over the past few years, eco-friendly technology has continued to progress, with many new inventions being introduced into the market. Hotel companies have begun to take advantage of these technologies and have been amazed with the effects it has had on their business so far. In this article, we will talk about the five reasons why eco-friendly technology is helping hotels. Less Money Spent on Water & Electricity Bills When you take into consideration how many guests can stay in your average-sized hotel, you can just imagine how large the electricity and water bills must be. However, green technology can...

Name: Jeffery Smith Title: Vice President Sustainability Company: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas Years in Current Position: Two Years, Six Months Primary Responsibilities: Managing operational impacts across 18 hotels and 32 spas, while supporting sustainable development for a pipeline of projects that grows the brand to touch on six continents. Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: “We eliminated plastic amenity bottles in 2003, plastic straws in 2016, and have been using coral safe sunscreen since 2019. Also, in every hotel there is a provision for funding to be spent outside the hotel operation. It allows each hotel to decide what is locally...

There are many sides to sustainability. The concept is most associated with being earth-friendly: mindful use of renewable resources, attentive recycling practices, and limiting energy use in an effort to put less stress on the environment. In the hospitality industry, sustainability generally refers to sourcing green materials and engaging in energy-efficient practices, from recommending the reuse of towels—the better to save water and power—to shutting down conference rooms when not in use. But sustainability is also about putting people first. In the hospitality industry, this attitude comes naturally: the guest experience is always the priority. Nevertheless, lighting control is often overlooked as...