LOUISVILLE, KY.—LSI Wallcovering announced it will pick up freight costs to bring used vinyl wallcovering back to its Second-Look Recycling Center in New Castle, Ind. The Louisville, Ky.-based wallcovering manufacturer made the move to ensure that rising fuel costs don’t discourage specifiers from recycling wallcovering. Second-Look accepts all makes of vinyl wallcovering and covers freight from any location in the continental United States and Canada. Second-Look is the first program to recycle post-consumer vinyl wallcovering and has diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds from the landfill since it began operations in 2005. Effective immediately, the free freight program is available...

ATLANTA—Softscribe Inc., an Internet public relations firm that drives sales for companies targeting green tourism and hospitality, green government and related markets, announced it will provide marketing and Internet public relations services to Hawaiian Mahogany Inc., a U.S.-based, 12-year-old certified provider of verifiable carbon offset credits for environmentally responsible Fortune 1000 firms and companies in hospitality, travel and other industries. “Carbon credits are a growing channel for businesses that want to go on record for effectively helping to stop global warming,” said Michael Squires, president of Softscribe Inc. “Carbon offset credits are mandated by many countries today; I expect to...

ST MARTIN, CARIBBEAN—Carlson Hotels Worldwide has opened the 1,000th hotel in its worldwide portfolio, the Radisson St Martin Resort, Marina & Spa, dedicating the achievement of this growth landmark to a global initiative of environmental sustainability and responsible business. At opening ceremonies, top company officials joined with representatives of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign and The Carbon Neutral Company to officially dedicate this $80 million resort. The company is planting 1,000 trees worldwide and making a financial donation to the UNEP program plus partnering with The CarbonNeutral Company to offset the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new National Restaurant Association survey of more than 1,600 professional chefs—members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF)—reveals that nutrition and philosophy-driven food choices will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2009. Local produce, bite-size desserts, organics, healthful kids’ meals, and new cuts of meat top the list of nearly 210 culinary items in the third annual “What’s Hot” chef survey. Rounding out the top 10 trends are kids’ vegetable/fruit side dishes, super fruits (including acai and mangosteen), small plates/tapas/mezze/dim sum, artisan liquor and sustainable seafood. “Creativity has always been a hallmark of professional chefs,” said...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—The Napa Valley community of Yountville, Calif., with a population of a little more than 3,000 people, is now home to one of the greenest lodging establishments in the United States—the 62-room luxury Bardessono hotel, restaurant and spa. Set to open the first week of February, the development should earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification later in 2009. If it does reach that goal, it will be only the second hotel in the United States to do so. The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., is the other. The owner and developer of the property is...

LA MIRADA, CALIF.—Architectural Area Lighting (AAL), North America’s first carbon neutral lighting manufacturer and a leading provider of efficient, effective and environmentally sound outdoor fixtures for the commercial, municipal and institutional building markets, unveils its Carbon Neutral for Life lighting sustainability program. The program provides end users, such as building owners, site operators and municipal officials, the opportunity to neutralize the carbon footprint created by fixtures when in operation. “As a company we are committed to lessening our impact on the environment, evident through the eco-friendly luminaries we produce and our effort to eliminate the carbon impact of our manufacturing...

BOULDER, COLO.—Sustainable Travel International (STI) announced an agreement with Green Globe International, Inc., the worldwide owner of the Green Globe brand for travel and tourism, under which Green Globe International and STI will partner to deliver co-branded products and services to the global travel and tourism industry. Green Globe International offers comprehensive sustainability and carbon neutrality programs under its internationally recognized Green Globe brand, including benchmarking and certification, consulting, communications, and carbon neutrality programs. Under the license agreement with Sustainable Travel International, Green Globe International will license certain STI properties for use as part of Green Globe programs. STI will...

BOCA RATON, FLA.—Hollander Home Fashions announced it will commit to an ambitious zero-waste goal for its manufacturing operations by 2010. The nation’s largest pillow manufacturer is the first company of its size in the home fashions industry to make such a bold commitment to environmental sustainability. “A lot of companies are trying to be greener,” says CEO Jeff Hollander. “We are thinking more in terms of true sustainability. What we are doing is integrating a new way of thinking into our entire operation. Over the past 18 months, the company has engaged employees and experts to develop a holistic program...

NEW YORK—NEWH Inc., the hospitality industry network, providing scholarships, education, and leadership opportunities for individuals in the hospitality industry, will host a “Green Day” at the 2009 semi-annual NEWH Leadership Conference in San Diego on January 10, 2009. The NEWH Leadership Conference, designed to focus on leadership and education, takes place January 9 to January 11. The Leadership Conference Green Day, under the auspices of NEWH Sustainable Hospitality, will consist of a sustainability panel and an introduction to LEED presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), along with a vendor spotlight on sustainable products and a personal...

DENVER—What began with a company-wide seafood policy that ensured Xanterra Parks & Resorts served only sustainable seafood in its 68 restaurants has evolved into an aggressive program that includes a wide variety of new innovations in sustainable cuisine, waste-reduction programs and sustainable renovations and construction of restaurants. Known for its wide-ranging environmental programs, concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates lodges, restaurants, gift shops, tours and activities in national and state parks and resorts. “Our chefs have created some of the most innovative sustainable offerings we’ve ever seen,” said Chris Lane, vice president of environmental affairs for Xanterra Parks & Resorts....