BEVERLY, MASS.—Olive Designs, LLC has released its new book, “One Green Deed Spawns Another: Tales of Inspiration on the Quest for Sustainability.” The book is a chronical of author David Mahood’s 20-year effort to better understand the importance of sustainability and the environment. The author’s quest for sustainability led him on a wide ranging and introspective journey that included encounters with a diverse group of people. From turtle rescuers to hemp designers, from foresters to worm farmers, from renowned ecologists to Seneca historians, his 20-year journey is chronicled in a story of environmental compassion and awareness. In an effort to...

Sustainable Hospitality Solutions An Award-Winning Sustainable Development Professional Kathy McGuire is an award-winning Sustainable Development Professional (ISSP-SA), LEED Green Associate and Climate Reality Leader with a proven track record of implementing sustainability projects to reduce costs, engage stakeholders, and increase brand awareness. Sustainable Hospitality Solutions is a consulting and training firm dedicated to helping hotels, destinations, venues, and indoor/outdoor events achieve internationally recognized certifications to validate sustainability claims. Call (561) 748-6750. Sustainable Hospitality Solutions » Email for Details »     GreenLuxe Your Sustainable Hospitality Experts Amy and her team have traveled the world to uncover and realize the most innovative solutions for sustainability. Using principles from GSTC,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Newsweek has released its Green Ranking 2017 report. The publication considers it “one of the most recognized environmental performance assessments of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.” Newsweek sorts its list into several sub-lists: U.S. Top 10, Global Top 10, U.S. 500, Global 500, Best in Industry U.S., and Best in Industry Global. The methodology for the report can be found here. In brief, the U.S. 500 consists of an assessment of the sustainability performance of the 500 largest publicly-traded companies headquartered in the United States by revenue as of December 31, 2016. The Global 500 consists of an...

Name: Claire Cutting Title: Director, Sustainability Company: Marriott International, Inc. Years in Position: One Primary Responsibilities: “My whole focus is on integrating Marriott’s and Starwood’s sustainability programs. We are trying to make one and one equal three. For example, we both had housekeeping and seafood programs but putting them together can be a real challenge. We are combining the best of both worlds. Each company had its own set of goals. It is like matching apples to oranges.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Launching Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, Marriott’s new Sustainability and Social Impact Platform. Our goals are huge. It was...

DALTON, GA.—Go Green Synthetic Lawn Solutions announces a major initiative to shift its manufacturing focus to more sustainable and environmentally friendly products. This change began with the inception of including a soy-based backing system on their artificial grass landscape and golf products. Universal Textile Technologies, innovators of BioCel and pioneers using recycled and bio-based materials to produce state of the art technologies in the textile industry for over 20 years, provides Go Green products with an exceptional backing system that adds more value and a better choice for the consumer. The BioCel system utilizes plant-based polyols derived from renewable natural oils...

There is no doubt that an increasing number of solar powered hotels are opening across America. For owners of modern hotels, technology and luxury are a high priority, but this doesn’t need to cause damage to the environment. The solar industry is on the cusp of being an affordable energy source, available to the masses. Hotel operators who are looking to combine modern design and comfort, with a sustainable and green approach, should seriously consider installing solar panels. Solar Could Soon Be the Cheapest Option According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the cost of solar is decreasing at a faster rate than...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, was recognized as one of America’s Most Just Companies by Forbes magazine and JUST Capital, a nonprofit that ranks the largest publicly traded U.S. corporations on the issues Americans care about most. Ecolab was recognized for outperforming its peers on criteria including worker pay and treatment, job creation, healthy products and communities, and environmental impact. “We’re honored by this recognition,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We have long believed that by aligning our economic, environmental and social priorities, we perform better...

Designing for the ultimate guest experience begins from the ground up. From the moment guests enter a hotel lobby, they should feel quality in every step, and the warmth and elegance of real hardwood floors make a huge impact on the crucial first impression. When designing for a spectacular hospitality experience, the most important decision—even more so than aesthetics—lies in choosing sustainable building materials that will look equally beautiful in year five as they did on day one. The flooring specified must be able to withstand thousands of guests in heels, countless wheeled carry-ons and damaging luggage carts, while...

NEW YORK—Committed to growing its inclusive community and expanding the travel industry’s impact, Travel+SocialGood, a nonprofit working in the global travel industry since 2013, changed its name to Impact Travel Alliance (ITA). The new name better reflects the organization’s long-term vision to affect the choices an average leisure or business traveler makes and the importance travel businesses put on a triple-bottom line. “Our goal is to reshape the narrative around sustainable tourism, and help average consumers understand that sustainability can be applied to any type of travel,” said Kelley Louise, Impact Travel Alliance’s Executive Director. “Our new name reflects our...

DENHAM, U.K.—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, recently announced a record-breaking week of fundraising for the IHG Foundation. During September’s IHG Foundation Week, more than 100,000 IHG colleagues came together to raise over $350,000 for the IHG Foundation, by pledging their participation in a wide range of awareness and fundraising activities. A record-breaking 1 million pledges were made across hotels and corporate offices in nearly 80 countries. This represented more than one pledge per second across nine days of activity and included 200,000 hours of volunteering. Kate Gibson, Vice President Corporate Responsibility, IHG, commented: “We are...