SOMERSET, N.J.—Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honors select organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. For the second year in a row, Philips took Product Manufacturer top honors with Partner of the Year. Philips released a total of 374 Energy Star certified products in 2013, up 40 percent over the prior year, including the world’s first Energy Star certified 100-watt LED equivalent bulb. Just recently, the company announced that its SlimStyle 60-watt LED equivalent bulb—the world’s first flat light bulb—achieved Energy Star certification.The 2014 Partner of the Year Awards...

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF.—RENSON, a European developer and manufacturer of sun shading and ventilation system solutions, announces the establishment of its North American sales and distribution network. The company, which was founded in Belgium in 1909 and employs approximately 600 across the globe, is presently growing a North American distributorship for its products, which is initially being established in the Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, Southeast and Western regions of the United States.“With installations of our products around the world, we are excited to now be making a localized commitment to sales and distribution in the U.S. market,” said Paul Renson, the...

SEATTLE—Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle has been awarded Green Globe certification for the third consecutive year.  “Pan Pacific Seattle accomplishes the right balance between service to guests, service to environmental stewardship and service to community,” said K. Denaye Hinds, Director of Sustainability for OBM International and Green Globe’s auditor of Pan Pacific. “Through the consistency of their Green Team and support from management, the hotel marries service and sustainability effortlessly.”In 2012, Pan Pacific was the first boutique hotel in the United States to receive Green Globe certification. Over the last two years, the hotel has improved its Green Globe certification...

UPLAND, CALIF.—As part of its mission to provide profitable solutions to the lodging industry that enhance, promote and preserve the environment, Green Suites Hotel Solutions has announced a newly formed partnership with Saint Francis Organics. The partnership will enable hotels to affordably offer their guests high quality organic personal care products site-wide, from guestroom, to the spa and gift shop, while dramatically reducing environmental impact.“Saint Francis Organics and Green Suites Hotel Solutions make a great team,” says Jon Olivier of Saint Francis Organics. “Both companies were launched with the idea to offer green and sustainable products. Green Suites was...

PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN—The high standard of environmental performance practiced by Meliá Caribe Tropical has been recognized by EarthCheck; a leading certifier of travel and tourism organizations.Meliá Caribe Tropical has joined industry leaders from more than 65 countries by being awarded EarthCheck Silver Certified status. To gain this, the resort had to report their environmental footprint to independent auditors and adhere to an internationally recognized standard of Best Practice.“We are thrilled to be recognized by EarthCheck for the environmentally sound practices we abide by here on-property,” said Meliá Caribe Tropical General Manager Manfred Schoebel. “We strive to ensure our...

WALTHAM, MASS.—American DG Energy Inc., a leading On Site Utility offering clean electricity, heat, hot water and cooling solutions to hospitality, healthcare, housing and athletic facilities, announced that BUILDINGS magazine has selected On-Site Utility as a 2014 Money-Saving Product winner. On-Site Utility is part of an elite group of 97 products and services showcased in the magazine’s June 2014 issue.Finalists were evaluated by the BUILDINGS editorial staff for the money-saving qualities they offer to building owners and facility managers in areas such as energy consumption, water savings, lighting, envelope improvement, and maintenance.Click here for more information.

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Though many travellers want to minimize the environmental impact of their trips, it can be tough to find an eco-conscious hotel, and it can be even tougher to separate the truly sustainable hotels from those that just claim to be. BookDifferent, an Amsterdam-based nonprofit, is the first hotel booking site to bring together lodgings certified by the world’s most reliable sustainability programs. After adding more than 4,500 new spots over the last year, BookDifferent now has 6,980 certified hotels, resorts and campgrounds, making it the largest eco-focused booking site on the web. BookDifferent makes it simple to...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken has demonstrated a commitment to transparency by disclosing the components of its modular carpet collections through Declare, a voluntary labeling program and database operated by the International Living Future Institute. All Milliken modular carpet collections are free of Red List hazardous materials and chemicals, which can impact the health of those who inhabit a space.“Declare labels align with Milliken’s commitment to ‘do good’ by providing industry-leading floor covering solutions that improve the world in which we live,” says Jim McCallum, President of Milliken’s global floor covering division.Declare labels display product components, increase transparency and aid designers in...

WAUWATOSA, WIS.—Bostik, Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of adhesives and sealants, has brought Dimension RapidCure Glass-Filled, Pre-Mixed, Urethane Grout to market. A patented, reflective, water-based, urethane grout, Dimension RapidCure contains micro-glass beads and a translucent, urethane binder that both reflect light and allow it to pass through. This adds an illuminating sparkle, creating one-of-a-kind, three-dimensional effects within glass tile installations. According to Scott Johnson, Marketing Manager of Voguebay, a major supplier of glass mosaics, “With Bostik’s Dimension RapidCure, now grout can be a fashionable product, too. Beautiful, three-dimensional tiles no longer have to be surrounded by boring...

CHICAGO—Xylem, a leading global water technology company, launched Filtration by Flojet at the 2014 National Restaurant Association (NRA) show. The system uses integrated membrane pre-activated carbon technology to improve water taste and appearance, better protects dispense equipment and mitigates health concerns in foodservice applications. Filtration by Flojet removes chlorine and chloramine odor and taste from municipal water by leveraging carbon block technology, proven to have more than four times the capacity to remove unwanted water characteristics as competitive pre-coat filters. Carbon block enables users to activate the filtration cartridge almost immediately, eliminating the flush out process associated with carbon powder...