FORT LAUDERDALE—Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. debuted its second FRESH collection at the Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference in Miami last month. The two new FRESH collections were created by New York designer Celerie Kemble and Palm Beach designers Mimi McMakin and Brooke Huttig. FRESH is an acronym for Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards (for) Hospitality and represents the first environmentally friendly comprehensive fabric program designed specifically and only for the hospitality industry. With these new collections, the FRESH line now spans six volumes and more thant 550 skus of patterns with vibrant colors. “This collection is innovative and beautiful,” says Cliff...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Willard InterContinental, Washington DC’s premiere historic luxury hotel, is now powered by 100 percent wind energy. Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. and a leader in renewable electricity, supplies the 332-room landmark hotel with 100 percent wind renewable energy credits, making the Willard the first urban luxury hotel in the United States to be fully supported in this sustainable manner. Pepco Energy Services provides the Willard InterContinental Washington with nearly 7.1 million kilowatt hours of 100 percent wind renewable energy certificates. The Loyalton Group, an energy risk management firm in Washington, D.C., facilitated the contracts,...

BOULDER, COLO.—Sustainable Travel International (STI) announced that it assisted the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s (ATTA) 2007 Adventure Travel World Summit slated for October 4-7, 2007, in becoming carbon neutral once again. “One of the most pressing questions about carbon neutrality is, ‘What specifically is being offset?,’” says Brian T. Mullis, president of STI. “For the last two years, the ATTA has proactively pursued total carbon dioxide emissions offsetting associated with its annual Adventure Travel World Summit. Specifically, the ATTA this year plans to offset 500 to 600 delegates’ travel to and from Whistler, their hotel stays, electricity consumption associated with...

HONG KONG—Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has launched a two-year development strategy to enhance its corporate social responsibility activities. A corporate CSR Committee, spearheaded by the group’s chief operating officer, has been established to continue to fulfill the group’s responsibilities in five key areas: the environment; employees and the community; health and safety; supply chain management; and stakeholder relations. In the area of environmental sustainability, the group’s focus is primarily in five areas: climate change; ozone depletion; water use management; waste disposal management; and indoor air quality. Shangri-La is ramping up energy conservation initiatives so that it will reduce 2006 group-wide...

LONDON—World Travel Market will host a major United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Ministers’ Summit on Tourism and Climate Change, a key part of an international program to widen and deepen the debate on one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. Ministers will be asked to consider and ratify a Declaration recommended by environmental experts at the UNWTO’s Summit on Climate Change in Davos, Switzerland in October. The Ministerial Declaration is to be put to the UNWTO’s General Assembly at the end of November and will be a major aspect of the organization’s submission to the U.N.’s Bali Climate...

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Cambridge, a leader in innovation and technology, recently announced plans to become America’s greenest city. Cambridge is the first city to make such an aggressive move with green initiatives. The city has several partners. Two organizations in particular have helped to make Cambridge’s transformation possible: the Cambridge Climate Protection Plan (CCPP) and the Cambridge Climate Leader Program (CCLP). The Climate Protection Plan, developed by Climate Protection Task Force and city staff, has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below the 1990 levels by 2010. This initiative plans to tackle issues such as greenhouse gas emissions,...

OSHKOSH, WISC.—Continental Girbau Inc.’s E-Series Washer-Extractors—in 40-, 30- and 20-pound capacities—deliver energy efficiency, high-speed extract, an easy-to-install, freestanding design, and the ultimate in programmability to hotels looking to employ green practices while decreasing operating expenses. With the introduction of E-Series, Continental expands its soft-mount washer-extractor offering to include high-performance models in 20-, 30-, 40-, 55-, 90-, 130- and 255-pound capacities. Continental’s E-Series Washer-Extractors are engineered to use less water than most frontload and topload washers on the market, thanks to exclusive features and a sump-less design. The Energy Star-qualified 20-pound capacity model uses up to 57 percent less water per...

ATLANTA—Healthy and sustainable buildings are the talk of the building industry, but what exactly defines what a healthy building is? ASHRAE will discuss this and other topics at its IAQ 2007: Healthy and Sustainable Buildings conference in Baltimore. The event will be held Oct. 15 to 17. IAQ 2007 will address what tools and metrics can be used to quantify buildings’ health and sustainability and how indoor air quality can be certified as sustainable. Plenary session speakers will compare the functionality of rating systems, how they can be improved and what information other than the ratings can developers, designers and...

LEXINGTON, KY—With nearly 100 million active spa-goers globally, the spa community casts a large net. Affecting society, the economy, culture and the environment, spa is synonymous with healthy lifestyles. And the eco-conscious roots of the industry are growing deeper still. “Environmental consciousness has always been there for the spa community,” says International SPA Association Chairman Jim Root. “Sustainability is in the fabric of spa. Sustainability is based on the very same ideals as the timeless values of spa and Salus Per Aquum. Sustainability is not a passing fad; it’s a deliberate lifestyle for those who work in...

LAGRANGE, GA.—Milliken & Co., a carbon negative manufacturer, has launched an Energy Conservation Initiative focused on four action areas—People, Alternative Sources, Innovation and Green Building—to reduce energy consumption along with related emissions and water use. The Milliken Energy Conservation Initiative was announced during Respect Our Earth Day at Milliken Floor Covering in LaGrange, where proclamations from local and state officials acknowledge Milliken’s sustainable practices. Georgia Power will provide a Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) to each employee making the Energy Star pledge to switch from traditional light bulbs and is working with the company as the challenge expands statewide. ...