ANN ARBOR, MICH.—NSF Sustainability, a division of global public health organization NSF International, has certified global carpet tile manufacturer Interface’s GlasBac, GlasBac RE and CushionBac products to NSF/ANSI 140: Sustainability Assessment for Carpet. These products are manufactured at the company’s facility in Jiangsu Province, China, the first manufacturing plant in China to produce more sustainable carpet products certified by NSF International.“Interface has demonstrated a true global commitment to sustainability,” said Tom Bruursema, General Manager of NSF Sustainability. “Product specifiers around the globe now have even greater access to Interface’s certified sustainable carpet products, which is an essential component in...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. released its 2013 Corporate Sustainability Report. This annual profile of the company’s commitment to sustainability highlights how Ecolab partners with customers, NGOs and communities to help address some of the world’s most complex resource and business challenges.Ecolab’s mission is to provide and protect what is vital: clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. With a combination of service, expertise and innovation, in 2013 Ecolab helped customers across more than 40 industries operate more efficiently, expand business responsibly, help address regional resource scarcity challenges, adapt operations to meet changing demands and achieve sustainability goals.“Fundamental...

TORONTO—With research indicating solitary bee populations continue to show signs of decline, and loss and fragmentation of habitat cited as a leading factor, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is stepping up to provide solitary bees with a place to rest their wings with the introduction of its first pollinator bee hotel at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York.“Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is extremely excited about the addition of our new pollinator bee hotel and we look forward to providing these pint-sized ‘guests’ with the five-star treatment they so deserve for keeping our ecosystems resilient,” said Alexandra Blum, Vice President, Public Relations, FRHI...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Assn. has relaunched its Conserve website designed to educate restaurateurs about sustainability and showcase how applying greener business practices will save money and help protect the environment. The rebooted website offers numerous videos, case studies, best practices and personal accounts of becoming more sustainable, reducing energy and water consumption, decreasing food waste, recycling, composting and operating business in environmentally and economically responsible ways. “Practicing sustainability is no longer a trend, but an important aspect of the restaurant industry’s daily operations,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, National Restaurant Assn. “With this new and...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced that two of its properties in Asia have become the first integrated resorts in the region to receive a prestigious sustainability certification.  Marina Bay Sands and the Venetian Macao, Las Vegas Sands’ integrated resorts in Singapore and Macao, have both earned the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certification. ISO 20121 is developed by International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards. The standard provides meeting venues and event planners a framework of policies, procedures and processes that have been designed to address the management of environmental, economic...

ORLANDO, FLA.—In keeping with its dedication to employ environmentally sound practices at the 500-acre property, Grande Lakes Orlando announces a boost to its growing eco-positive actions at its 18-hole golf course, and surrounding natural preserve as well as a significant recycling and waste reduction initiative in collaboration with Harvest Power.The green practices carried out on the golf course and towards the protection of its natural surroundings have earned the course the designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” as well as a certification from the Golf Environment Organization (GEO). Most recently, it received the International Association of Golf Tour Operators...

SAN DIEGO—Hilton San Diego Bayfront has been named the number one most sustainable Hilton hotel in the United States of America by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton San Diego Bayfront has recently received a number of green sustainability awards for the property’s multitude of recycling and energy conservation efforts. These notable recognitions come from a national and local level. In addition to being named the most sustainable Hilton property in the United States, City of San Diego has awarded the hotel with the 2014 Director’s Recycling Award, and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) recently recognized the hotel as the Energy...

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS—The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)—the region’s tourism development agency charged with leading the Caribbean’s sustainable tourism development—and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the regional public health agency established by CARICOM, have agreed on a plan to address health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues that threaten the sustainability of the Caribbean tourism industry.This partnership will benefit member countries through greater mutual understanding and collaboration, as well as strong public-private sector partnerships at national and regional levels between tourism, health and environment stakeholders supporting a cohesive and coordinated approach to combatting adverse health, safety and environmental incidents, the two...

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y.—Carnegie announced that it has become a Certified B Corporation. B Corp certification is a rigorous third party assessment performed by the nonprofit organization B Lab. Carnegie’s standing in areas such as social and environmental performance were measured and tallied with complete transparency by B Lab.B Corporations are a new kind of company that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. It’s like LEED or Fair Trade certification, but for a business, not just a building or a bag of coffee. There are currently more than 950 certified B Corporations in over 32...

STAMFORD, CONN.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the publication of its inaugural corporate responsibility report, “Global Citizenship at Starwood.” The narrative provides an update on Starwood’s recent Global Citizenship initiatives, and outlines the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, community involvement, opportunities for associate development, and best practices in corporate governance.Frits van Paasschen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood, said, “At Starwood we believe being a good corporate citizen makes good business sense, and helps us offer our guests ‘A Better Way to Experience the World.’ Working closely with experts, NGOs, community partners, suppliers, and...