NEW YORK—Toray International America, Inc., makers of Ultrasuede Ambiance and Torale Luxe, will exhibit at HDExpo 2011 in Las Vegas, May 18 to 20. The branded Ultrasuede and Torale upholstery covers offer eco-friendly solutions to specifiers of hospitality and design furnishings and installations. In 2009, Toray debuted EcoDesign, an environmentally responsible line of products based on innovative recycling technology, or PET chemical recycling. The new technology results in reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions by a minimum average of 80 percent. EcoDesign captures industrial materials, such as scrap polyester films, from the Toray manufacturing processes and recycles them for use...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—ClearWater Tech, LLC, a leading manufacturer of ozone systems for water and air purification, announced the redesign of the ClearWater Tech website that now offers visitors easier page navigation and enhanced content. The new site allows users to access more detailed, up-to-date information on all aspects of the company’s products and applications. The new layout and added features make it easier for customers to contact ClearWater Tech and get information they require on products, services, and ongoing news events. A special addition to the site is the Dealers Page. Visitors can type in their zip code or city...

CHICAGO—In order to help hotels further reduce their environmental footprint, Cintas Corp. has introduced its first eco-friendly garment options for bellmen, doormen and other front door professionals in hotels. The new apparel, made of recycled polyester, wool and Lycra, further enhances Cintas’ already extensive EcoGeneration collection and enables hotels to go “green” without compromising fashion or comfort. “Staff members who greet guests when they enter a property really set the tone for their overall perception of the brand,” said Todd McKeown, vice president of Hospitality at Cintas. “With our new sustainable apparel for bellmen and doormen, hotels can leave an...

PASADENA, CALIF.—LATHER, creator of natural skin care products and hotel amenities, will this summer introduce the Aromatherapy Collection, a new amenity line designed to appeal to today’s luxury hotel market. Inspired by the company’s best-selling retail products, each item will feature a unique aromatherapy blend. Formulations will draw on natural oils, extracts, and conditioning agents, and use food-grade, naturally-derived glycerin. Products will also be vegan, and contain no animal by-products, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, urea, or petrol-derived ingredients. Each matte white tube and carton will be accented with one of LATHER’s signature colors, making items easy to identify at-a-glance and reflecting...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—EcoRooms & EcoSuites has added Peter Goren to its Board of Advisors as its newest advisor. Goren is currently the president of the American Green Lodging and Hospitality Association (AGLHA), a newly established not-for-profit organization which conducts research, provides technical assistance and training, and promotes educational activities on issues that affect the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the hospitality industry. Prior to this, Peter was the co-founder and director of Florida’s Green Lodging Program. “I am honored to be joining the Board of Advisors,” Goren says. “As a member, I hope to convey the importance of educating...

BLOOMINGTON, IND.—DestinationGreen, the free monthly e-newsletter of The Ashkin Group distributed to nearly 4,000 subscribers every month, has been totally redesigned. In addition to the redesign, the seven-year-old publication now also has its own website containing current as well as past e-newsletter content specifically addressing green cleaning and sustainability issues.  The whole idea behind the new design is not to just update the look, but to strengthen the company’s mission and goals for the industry, according to Elizabeth Crosbie, marketing manager for The Ashkin Group.   “Due to our direct involvement on both the national and international level working with...

NEW YORK—Last week, Earth Week, marked Designtex’s second year of carbon neutral operations. Designtex has continued its partnership again this year with NativeEnergy, a leading provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon footprint consulting. NativeEnergy assessed Designtex’s total operational footprint for 2011 according to the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Greenhouse Gas Protocols. The resulting footprint of 4075 tons of CO2 emissions this year includes all Designtex facilities’ energy use, business travel, freight (inbound and outbound shipments), employee commuting, and waste. A summary of the report is available on Designtex’s website. Of the total footprint, the majority (3341 tons...

MILWAUKEE—Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform and a leading provider of Internet services for the hospitality industry, announced that it has established an e-waste Take-Back Recycling program for all of its legacy products to assist its customers with the responsible disposal of used electronics equipment. According to Telkonet, it is committed to promoting sustainability and actively pursues and implements policies, programs and practices designed to minimize and mitigate corporate environmental impact by producing products that are designed and manufactured to meet or exceed the world’s most stringent environmental requirements. Telkonet extends that core value, and attempts to...

AKRON, OHIO—GOJO Industries, Inc. underscored its strong commitment to following sustainable business practices and made public its new GOJO Sustainability Policy. The policy commits to sustainable business practices as they relate to social, environmental and economic well-being. GOJO has a long history of sustainable business practices in the skin-care industry. In 1952, founders Goldie and Jerry Lippman invented the world’s first portion-control hand-cleaner dispenser to reduce waste. In 1983, GOJO developed liquid soap dispensing systems using GOJO SANITARY SEALED refills, a more hygienic alternative to bar soap or bulk dispensers. More recently, the company created GOJO GREEN HYGIENE Solutions, the...

GLEN ALLEN, VA.—Just in time for Earth Day, the Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center will share a different kind of “green” with its guests traveling in hybrid and electric vehicles. With its new “Go Green, Get Green” package, guests who arrive at the Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel in a hybrid vehicle and stay for two nights or more through September 1, 2011, will receive a $25 Visa gift card. The Go Green, Get Green package includes deluxe, overnight king- or double-bedded accommodations, a $25 Visa gift card, and wireless high-speed Internet access. The package is based on qualifying...