PISCATAWAY, N.J.—American Standard announced that its high efficiency urinals and flush-valve options meet or exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program requirements for high performance and water efficiency, making it the first major plumbing manufacturer to meet these rigorous requirements. The EPA’s WaterSense program requires commercial urinals to use no more than 0.5 gallons per flush (gpf)—50 percent lower than the current federal standard of 1.0 gpf—while also meeting such performance standards as flush effectiveness and post-flush seal restoration. The American Standard line of high efficiency urinals, which features FloWise water-saving technology, exceeds these requirements, operating between 0.5 gpf...

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—ASQ now offers ISO 26000: Guidance on Social Responsibility, the new international standard on social responsibility (SR). The standard provides global guidance for both private and public sector organizations of all types. ASQ serves as the administrator for the U.S. Technical Advisory Group of subject matter experts that contributes to the development of the standard. The standard focuses on seven key aspects of social responsibility: organizational governance, community involvement and development, environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, labor practices and human rights. While ASQ embodies and supports all seven subjects, it initially is concentrating on the areas that will...

GRATON, CALIF.—Ceilume, manufacturer of decorative ceiling tiles, announced the launch of its sustainable ceiling tile collection. The tiles are made from the company’s new Ceilume-P40-Plus, a proprietary material with 60 percent recycled content (40 percent post-consumer, 20 percent pre-consumer) which diverts soda and water bottle waste from landfills. Ceilume Sustainable tiles set a new standard for environmental responsibility in the ceiling tile industry, and received recognition in the 2010 American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Bloom Awards in the Innovative Materials category. In addition to using 80 percent less material than conventional tiles, Ceilume Sustainable tiles are fully returnable at...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—American Clay Enterprises, Inc.’s new PlasterPlus offers a hard, yet repairable, no-VOC (volatile organic compound) finish for the cost of a high quality, zero-VOC paint job.  PlasterPlus is sold dry in 27 lb. lots through select commercial distributors, and is intended for hospitality projects. The polymer binder has no VOCs, is mold resistant, easy to apply, and can contribute up to eight LEED points. American Clay has been used for numerous commercial/industrial jobs to date—from hotels (including Disney) and retail to schools and spas. Now with PlasterPlus, American Clay can replace paint more equitably. Adding the completely repairable binder...

SHEFFIELD, MASS.—Monarch Bath, Bed & Spa, a leading global provider of luxury bathrobes and linens to the hospitality industry, released the full results of an independent research project that was conducted in order to test and evaluate the properties of their MONARCH ECO towels, a recently introduced line of eco-friendly bath linens that are designed to conserve water and reduce energy costs in the laundry operation. The extensive tests were performed in conjunction with Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R) at The Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Englewood, Colo., a 302-room, 4-Diamond resort with an in-house laundry that processes more...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Judy Dobin, principal and executive vice president of Valley Forge Fabrics, received the highest level of recognition given to manufacturers for hospitality and lodging with the NEWH ICON of the Industry Award 2010. Six years ago, NEWH introduced the ICON of Industry Award to honor those manufacturers who are true leaders in the hospitality industry. NEWH ICONS have the following qualities: they have made a significant impact on the industry through their innovation, have dedicated themselves and their companies to their communities and the industry through outreach, mentoring and education, and they have a minimum of 30 years...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) announced the launch of www.bedbugtoolkit.com, a free online resource to help hotel owners and operators stop bed bugs before they spread. The toolkit features downloadable information and materials on how to train staff to detect bed bugs early, as well as actions to take when they suspect a guestroom is infested. The toolkit debuted at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City. “In the last decade, bed bugs have rebounded because of increased international travel, pesticide resistance and a lack of awareness—but hoteliers can...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—In 2010 and into 2011, Continental Girbau Inc. celebrates its 15th anniversary, as its parent company, Girbau S.A., in Vic, Spain, celebrates its 50th. Continental Girbau was founded as the North American subsidiary of Girbau S.A. in 1995. Since that time, the company has grown to boast 30 employees and a network of 63 professional distributors. In addition to creating three brands since inception—OnePress, Continental Girbau and Girbau Industrial—Continental established Continental Creative Services, a division focused on providing distributors with marketing and advertising services; and Continental Girbau West, a branch office in Sante Fe Springs, Calif. Additionally, Continental has...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—3M Purification Inc. has expanded its portfolio of Filtrete Commercial HVAC filters. The two new filters—Filtrete Commercial HVAC Filter MERV A13 and Filtrete Commercial HVAC Filter MERV A11 from 3M—are designed with an innovative open filtration media structure, precision pleat structure and high surface area mini-pleat design, resulting in low pressure drop, thereby helping decrease energy use. The new MERV A13 rated filter meets the minimum requirement for an Indoor Environmental Quality point toward LEED certification for new and existing buildings. Using 3M technology, this filter offers a unique combination of high in-use efficiency, low pressure drop and...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—ClearWater Tech, LLC, a leader in mid range ozone generators for water and air purification, has introduced the CD30nx corona discharge ozone generator to its line of wall-mounted ozone generators. It includes an on-board System Information and Diagnostics (S.I.D.) LCD display, which provides a seamless user interface to control and monitor ozone production and system diagnostics, and can be displayed in various languages. The CD30nx allows for universal power input and produces 30 grams per hour (30g/h) at 5 percent concentration by weight, with oxygen feed gas. The new drive circuitry of the CD30nx utilizes ClearWater Tech’s...