FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics announced that it has implemented UPS’ carbon neutral shipping program. In an effort to continuously reduce its effect on the environment, the company partnered with UPS to reduce its carbon dioxide (C02) impact while further demonstrating its commitment to a healthier planet.Valley Forge, the world’s largest supplier of decorative textiles to the hospitality industry, ships thousands of packages to customers across the globe every year. Shipping is one of the company’s largest emissions sources and makes up 95 percent of all the company’s greenhouse gases. Every package Valley Forge ships will now automatically include...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—Employees and corporate clients of all Belgian Carlson Rezidor hotels and the head office of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group have planted more than 1,700 trees in the Sonian forest near Brussels. Eighty volunteers joined the activity organized by Carlson Rezidor’s Responsible Business department.“We were celebrating the 10th year of our annual tree-planting,” said Gaston Gellens, district director Belgium and general manager of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Brussels. “It was great to welcome participants of all our Park Inn by Radisson and Radisson Blu hotels in the country.” On a strip prepared by Agentschap Natuur en Bos Vlaanderen...

MIDLAND, MICH.—Building insulation products from Dow Building Solutions have been recertified by the Cradle to Cradle Certified program, a well-known, multi-attribute eco-label that assesses a product’s material content, recyclability and manufacturing characteristics. Originally certified in 2010 and recertified in 2011, after rigorous analysis in 2012, STYROFOAM Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam Insulation recertified at the SILVER level and THERMAX Insulation achieved BASIC recertification.“When evaluating sustainable building materials, Dow advocates taking a ‘holistic’ approach, and we feel the Cradle to Cradle Certified program provides a strong indication of a product’s comparative value when looking at energy efficient solutions and underscores...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—NSF International, an independent global organization that writes public health and environmental standards for the food, water and consumer goods industries, can now certify service providers in a multitude of industries to North America’s first sustainability assessment protocol—NSF P391: General Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Services and Service Providers. Organizations certified to the protocol will be able to differentiate their services and achieve preferred vendor status with companies and organizations seeking more sustainable operating solutions, including government agencies (local, state and federal) and others seeking to comply with U.S. Executive Order 13514. Developed through the NSF National Center for...

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH.—Signature Crypton Carpet, a brand that weaves together Crypton’s stain, liquid and odor-causing bacteria resistant fabrics and the design expertise of Signature Carpets, announces their latest venture in sustainable living and environmental preservation—the Yellowstone Collection. Signature Crypton Carpet has collaborated with the Yellow Stone Park Foundation, taking on all of the park’s discarded plastic bottles and turning them into carpet backings. This new line, known as the “Yellowstone Collection” will invest 50 cents of every square yard sold through it’s P2 program, back to The Yellowstone Park Foundation, to help preserve and protect one of America’s most pristine...

DELAVAN, WIS.—When the husband-and-wife team of Fritz Kreiss and Catherine McQueen learned that a two-lane highway adjacent to their five-acre property in Delavan, Wis. would be expanded to four lanes they could have tried to sell the land with their cottage on it. Instead, they decided to build perhaps North America’s greenest lodging establishment—the 19-suite Green Leaf Inn that will be a net zero energy property. Net zero energy properties generate more energy than they consume. The Green Leaf Inn is scheduled to open in the spring of next year.It is the owners’ intention for the inn to serve...

KAPAAU, HAWAII—Guests staying at the boutique-style Hawaii Island Retreat on Hawaii Island’s North Kohala coast can choose to stay in one of the Retreat’s nine lavishly appointed guestrooms or “rough” it a little bit and stay in one of the property’s seven well-appointed yurts. No matter what accommodations are chosen, guests have the satisfaction of knowing they are staying in a place that is off the grid—powered by the sun and wind.The Hawaii Island Retreat is nearing its third anniversary. It opened on April 1, 2009. Jacque Waters, associate director at the property, said the owners—Jeanne Sunderland and Robert...

NEW YORK—There’s a lot of talk about the other green of sustainability—financial savings. However, a recent survey from Ernst & Young LLP found that many companies might be missing opportunities, as tax departments and sustainability programs lack integration. Only 16 percent of companies that either have or are developing an environmental sustainability strategy said their tax or finance departments are actively involved in it, according to the survey entitled, “Working Together: Linking sustainability and tax to reduce the cost of implementing sustainability initiatives.” The survey included responses from 223 senior executives at companies predominantly in the United States. Of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), a research and policy institute affiliated with Stanford University, released a new report designed to assist large-scale coastal tourism projects in Mexico meet internationally recognized standards for sustainable development. The report, Alternative Development Models and Good Practices for Sustainable Coastal Tourism: A Framework for Decision Makers in Mexico, compiles existing good practices for resorts, vacation homes, marinas and golf courses in a clear, user-friendly format. “This is not a technical manual for engineers, nor a tip sheet for travelers,” says co-author David Krantz, “but rather a practical handbook based on existing good practices...

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS—The top man at the world’s leading international tourism organization will address the Caribbean’s premier tourism gathering, organized by the region’s tourism development agency. The secretary general of the World Tourism Organization—a United Nations agency (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, has confirmed that he will speak at the State of the Industry Conference scheduled for October 11 to 13, 2012, in St. Kitts. The conference is being organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the international organization responsible for the development of Caribbean tourism. “We are pleased that Dr. Rifai has accepted our invitation to speak at the CTO State of...