VISTA, CALIF.—While the data is well-established that no-water urinal systems can reduce maintenance costs and water consumption along with related energy costs to deliver water, facility managers thinking about installing non-water urinals should first consider a few things, according to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., Inc. “While I would like to recommend for every facility, some due diligence is necessary to ensure they are successfully installed, especially in an existing building,” Reichardt says. For instance, most new buildings have approved ABS or PVC drain pipes or something similar, which work well with waterless urinals. However, some older buildings...

AKRON, OH—GOJO Industries, Inc. has introduced its new GOJO LTX touch-free soap dispenser. LTX is a dispensing system designed using life cycle assessment principles. The LTX Dispensing System for GOJO soap and next-generation PURELL Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer is engineered to be a reliable and easy-to-service touch-free soap dispenser while offering sustainable design and operation. Life Cycle Assessment calculates and tracks the environmental impact of a product throughout its life. The decisions GOJO made when designing the LTX touch-free soap dispenser led to a reduction in life cycle impacts, including reduced smog emissions by 62 percent, global warming gases by...

OTTAWA, ONT.—Green Key Global announces the launch of a Carbon Calculator developed specifically for the lodging industry. The new Carbon Calculator will assist hotels in determining their annual carbon footprint based on a set of key sources and activities. Developed jointly by the Hotel Association of Canada and the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, the Green Key Carbon Calculator was created to meet the growing demand for an industry-specific carbon management tool. Carbon management reaps great environmental benefits but can also be beneficial from an economic and reputational perspective as well. The Green Key Calculator allows hotel owners on a global...

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH— Zion Lodge in Zion National Park has become the first hotel in a national park—and one of just three properties overall—to receive the Green Seal Lodging Standard Gold certification for Hotels and Lodging Properties. The Green Seal certification means that a third party—Green Seal—has verified that the lodge’s environmental programs have been effectively implemented. Green Seal, an organization dedicated to identifying and promoting sustainability in the marketplace, will perform an annual audit to ensure Zion Lodge remains compliant with the standard. Green Seal offers three levels of certification with Gold being the highest. The standards have been...

SAINT-GEORGES, QUEBEC—Victor, Designtex, and Steelcase announced a collaborative effort with Unifi to initiate a program to recycle textile industry waste back into fiber and yarn that will be used in first quality fabrics, creating a closed loop process. In an effort to drive sustainable innovation, these companies are establishing a program whereby fabric waste from pre-approved Victor products at Steelcase’s Athens, Alabama panel manufacturing facility will be segregated, collected, and sent to Unifi’s REPREVE Recycling Center in North Carolina to be recycled into fiber and yarn. This yarn will be sent to Victor to be woven into new products...

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII—Hospitality Battery Holder announced that the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel is now using its Hospitality Battery Holder product. The Courtyard King, located on Kailua-Kona beach, is the first hotel in Kona beach, Hawaii to utilize this product.The Courtyard King Kamehameha”s Kona Beach Hotel installed the Hospitality Battery Holder in its 452 rooms. The hotel expects to save more than $6,238 within five years while helping the environment by not disposing of batteries.The Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach will be discontinuing the wrap-around battery packs by using the Hospitality Battery Holder. It will allow the hotel the...

COLUMBIA, MD.—A high-efficiency, high-visibility solar-powered car-charging system made by a Maryland company is giving electric vehicle owners a means to refuel their vehicles with clean energy—and just as important, a way for businesses to attract and serve this new class of consumer: the EV driver.Advanced Technology & Research Corp., an engineering and manufacturing firm based in Columbia, Md., recently installed its first high-efficiency, small-footprint Sun-Tracking Solar EV Charging Station at an auto-related business, Win Kelly Chevrolet/Buick/GMC of Clarksville, which sells the Chevy Volt. A ribbon-cutting gave business owners from several different fields—including automotive, hospitality and real estate—the opportunity to...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—The Refinishing Touch, a leader in on-site environmentally safe and sustainable furniture refinishing, re-upholstering and armoire modification for private and public organizations, has extended its operations with a new division in Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, The Refinishing Touch Canada is the company’s first international company and administrative division. It will support the company’s refinishing, reupholstery, and remanufacturing crews located in Canada. The office staff will report directly to The Refinishing Touch headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga. The new division will service The Refinishing Touch’s new hotel and hospitality clients across Canada. “Canada has a robust hospitality industry, with an estimated 270,000...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Continental Girbau Inc. recently released the new Express Flatwork Ironer line, a team of waxless ironers capable of finishing up to 50 feet of linen per minute. Available in 13- and 20-inch roll diameters and up to 125-inch finishing widths, Express Flatwork Ironers boast new conveniences, including significantly enhanced processing speeds; an easily accessible lint cleanout; a wide, metallic feeding tray; reinforced lateral bearings; and multiple heating systems and types. All models are available in natural gas or electric heating, and the 20-inch is also available in steam heating. Making the most of available space, these return-to-feed ironers...

SAN DIEGO—HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, a distributor of maintenance, repair and operations products, announced that Bree Lewis, senior industry development manager—Hospitality Solutions, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Latino Hotel & Restaurant Association (LHRA). “I am honored to have been selected to serve as a board member for this well-regarded association,” said Lewis. “The Latino Hotel & Restaurant Association strives to further the participation of Latinos within the hospitality industry at a global level and HD Supply Facilities Maintenance fully supports its efforts.” In her current role at HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, Lewis is responsible for strategic...