NEW YORK—Designtex announced that Susan Lyons, president of Designtex, will be honored as a Legacy Innovator at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s inaugural Innovation Celebration event, which will be held in New York on November 15 to recognize leaders in product design innovation as they create better products for our world.This award recognizes Lyons’s pioneering role as a passionate but practically minded advocate for environmental sustainability in textile design. In 1993, Lyons, then Creative Director of Designtex, began to research the possibility of developing a collection of ecological fabrics. But at that time no one knew exactly...

ITHACA, N.Y.—“The Giving Bag,” a concept to save hotels money on lost and left behind items, is the winning concept in the third annual Cornell student sustainability competition, sponsored by Schneider Electric, a partner of the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research. The competition is conducted in conjunction with the annual Sustainability Roundtable at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration (SHA). The roundtable brought nearly three dozen international hotel practitioners and researchers to the school to discuss current sustainability trends and strategies.Creators of “The Giving Bag,” Lilia Karimi and Quinn Cox, both students at SHA, won the first-place prize of...

NASHVILLE—A&M Meetings and Incentives recently announced that The Hermitage Hotel is among the five hotels in the nation it invited to participate in its new sustainable events program.“From growing our own vegetables and raising our own beef to restoring and maintaining our historic building and supporting the Land Trust for Tennessee, sustainability is infused in The Hermitage Hotel,” said Janet Kurtz, director of sales and marketing. “We are deeply committed to preserving what is best about the South and southern hospitality, including the lush environment that makes our region so inviting. We are honored to be among the handful...

PLANTATION, FLA.—DHL was honored recently with a SmartWay Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as an industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.SmartWay recognized DHL Express U.S. for its initiatives and efforts that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions within its operations. By the end of this year, DHL Express will have replaced more than 50 percent of its pick-up and delivery fleet with more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles—all part of a strategic, five-year fleet planning effort that best aligns vehicle demand against the most appropriate vehicle selection.“Environmental protection and sustainability...

SAN FRANCISCO—Verdafero Inc., a SaaS (Sustainability-as-a-Service) software and services provider, announced a partnering agreement with Hotel Sustainability Solutions, Inc. (HSSI).“This is a very exciting partnership for Verdafero,” said Dr. Alastair Hood, CEO of Verdafero. “With the skills and knowledge that HSSI brings in sustainability across many industries we feel that the combination of HSSI and Verdafero’s skill set and online tools will help HSSI customers gain great insight and information on their utility reduction efforts across all their properties and locations. We are very pleased to be working with HSSI.”Created by Verdafero from direct industry feedback, MyVerdafero—Utility Optimization Software...

SAN DIEGO—Courtyard by Marriott and MindClick Global, a leader in supply chain sustainability performance and sourcing solutions, announced the launch of the Rest Better sustainability program, a MindClick initiative to educate travelers on the environmental impact of implementing green hotel purchasing practices.“As a Marriott International brand, Courtyard places a high precedent on sustainability,” said Mari Snyder, Vice President Social Responsibility & Community Engagement. “Partnering with MindClick Global to launch the Rest Better program at our renovated hotel in Rancho Bernardo goes hand-in-hand with Marriott’s ‘Spirit to Preserve’ philosophy and demonstrates the ways we are taking better care of our...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide unveiled its annual Corporate Responsibility Report, noting that it has met another companywide sustainability goal ahead of schedule as well as made progress against the company’s full range of sustainability and responsibility commitments.Through continuous improvement and corrective action among its more than 4,000 hotels, Hilton Worldwide achieved its five-year goal to reduce water consumption by 10 percent and waste output by 20 percent in 2012, one and two years ahead of schedule respectively and continues its progress toward its goal to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 20 percent by the end of 2013. Since...

TORONTO—Sustainable Travel International has announced the launch of its Canada operations, in an effort to enhance the organization’s mission to collaborate with destinations, businesses and travelers to implement innovative sustainable tourism development and conservation solutions that protect the environment, support adaptation to climate change, maintain sense of place, and generate economic benefits.The new Canada office and nonprofit subsidiary boasts a high profile Canadian Board of Directors made up of leaders in the travel sector, and is a fully integrated extension of the organization’s international operations, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The new office increases the non-governmental organization’s reach...

NATIONAL REPORT—Getting guests to forego linen laundering is one way to reduce linen-related costs and their associated environmental footprint. Another way is to choose linen that is inherently environmentally advantageous—in other words, its reduced footprint is built into its very fibers. Still another way is to choose a supplier that not only is concerned about the product itself but also the supply chain behind it, how it is made, and what happens to it at the end of its life.When considering environmental impact, there is no perfect sheet or pillow case. Cotton, unless it is certified organic, requires a...

TORONTO—Canadian Linen and Uniform Service, a leading supplier of linen and uniform rental services in North America, announced the launch of a pilot program that will test three new types of alternative fuel vehicles in an effort to positively impact the environment and assess the impact on the company’s overall operations. Compressed natural gas (CNG), propane and plug-in electric vehicles will be tested this fall and throughout the upcoming year.“We have one of the largest fleets in the industry, so we have the capacity to put some resources towards reducing emissions while exploring the impact on fuel costs,” said...