PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—Carrier announced that it received its fifth major award for the Carrier AquaEdge 19DV water-cooled centrifugal chiller in just over a year. Most recently, Carrier received accolades for the 19DV in Dubai as the 2019 Innovative Manufacturer/Supplier of the Year in the Chillers category at the Climate Control Awards hosted by CPI Industry. The 19DV utilizes an environmentally sustainable refrigerant with the highest possible safety rating and an ultra-low global warming potential of ~1. “Carrier is focused on inventing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, and the AquaEdge 19DV has received recognition around the globe as...

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—Distributed Solar Development (DSD) announced the completion of a custom solar canopy it designed and built for MGM Springfield in Springfield, Mass. The canopy enabled the property’s United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction Platinum level certification—the first for a gaming resort. The canopy will contribute to MGM’s stated goal of reducing carbon emissions per square foot by 45 percent by 2025, using a 2007 baseline. Built with U.S.-made Nucor steel and a proprietary water management system, the 1.382MW solar canopy sits atop the roof deck of the MGM Springfield’s parking garage....

KEHL, GERMANY—Plastic waste has become a highly debated global issue. The small bottles of body care products, which still can be found in many hotel bathrooms, contribute significantly to this problem. Estimates show that each year, the hotel industry disposes over 10 billion of these mini bottles, many of which still contain product. ADA Cosmetics International is using the “Make the Shift” campaign to draw the attention of hoteliers towards environmentally friendly dispenser systems. The key communication mode is a landing page with background information and product news on the topic of dispenser system solutions, presented in a magazine style....

SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF.—Bamboo Studio is about to launch Eco Hempware, the world’s first collection of foodservice tableware made entirely from high-grade industrial grown hemp fiber. Twice as strong as steel, six times as flexible, and 100 percent compostable, industrial hemp is a high-yield crop ideally suited for the food industry, producing four times as much fiber pulp from one acre of hemp as an acre of trees. Eco Hempware is microwave safe, dishwasher safe and extremely durable. Experts at making sustainable tableware with natural fibers for over 10 years, Bamboo Studio is launching its newest brand, Eco-Hempware, with an initial 50-piece...

SAN FRANCISCO—Rasa Technologies, Inc., provider of the standard infrastructure layer for conversational AI, announced the open source release of Carbon Bot, a research project created by the company to illustrate the power of contextual assistants. Carbon Bot is an interactive assistant deployed on Facebook Messenger and was designed to help climate-conscious individuals planning to travel this holiday season. Here’s how it works: a traveler can send a message to Carbon Bot on Facebook, asking for help finding carbon offsets for their flights. Carbon Bot will ask questions specific to the traveler and suggest projects to donate to in exchange for...

PALMA, SPAIN—Combatting climate change is one of the biggest challenges on the global agenda, a priority for the travel industry, and one of the key drivers of the Meliá Hotels International Sustainability Master Plan, which includes public commitments made within the framework of the Paris 2015 COP21 agreement and including an objective of reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2035. The company has been named the Most Sustainable Hotel Company in the World this year, achieving the highest score in the global travel industry in the latest Corporate Sustainability Assessment by SAM thanks to its performance and commitment to social...

TORRANCE, CALIF.—LEDtronics announced a new addition to their industry-leading offering of intermediate based LED bulbs. The new High-lumen LED T5 Tube Bulbs are available in multiple base selections and are the ideal replacement for old technology incandescents. The LED16T5 series’ design allows for quick installations and is ideal for enclosed fixtures and tight spaces. It is a perfect fit in applications such as machine status indicator bulbs, accent and decorative lighting, industrial panels, automotive bulbs, appliance bulbs as well as chandeliers. The series features an omnidirectional 360-degree, no-shadow beam pattern. As compared to incandescents, this LED bulb provides sharper, higher-intensity illumination,...

GRAND JUNCTION, COLO.—Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc., the world’s leader in fully integrated, highly engineered acrylic solutions, announced that it manufactured, supplied and installed a cylindrical aquarium for Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel’s nearly 50-foot aquarium. The large water feature is prominently displayed in the grand lobby as a central design element filled with nearly 2,000 aquatic animals of varying species. “It’s been a true pleasure to see our highly engineered acrylic come to life in the Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel,“ said Mark Johnson, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. “With each project Reynolds is selected for,...

MEXICO CITY—Vidanta Riviera Maya, one of the Vidanta Resorts, has been named as the first resort destination in Mexico to receive EarthCheck Master Certification, which has been granted to only 21 companies around the world. EarthCheck—the world’s leading authority in environmental consulting, scientific benchmarking, and sustainability certification for the travel and tourism industry—awarded Vidanta Riviera Maya with the “Master Status” for 15 years of continuous environmental leadership and successfully meeting criteria in energy conservation programs, appropriate procedures for water and waste management, the reduction of greenhouse gases in hotels and golf courses, and the active promotion of sustainability. In addition to...

PHILADELPHIA—Aramark, a leading U.S.-based provider of food, facilities and uniform services, announced a new 2025 sustainability plan, Be Well. Do Well., focused on positively impacting people and the planet. Be Well. Do Well. is built around several key priorities. People priorities: to engage employees, empower healthy consumers, support local communities, and source ethically and inclusively. Planet priorities: to source responsibly, operate efficiently, and to effectively manage food waste, packaging, emissions and other activities that could adversely impact the environment and planet. “Aramark strives to do our part with respect to environmental, economic, social and ethical considerations,” said Kathy Cacciola, Aramark’s Vice President, Enterprise Sustainability. “Be...