UPLAND, CALIF.—Green Suites Project Planet recently donated more than 6,000 individual personal care products to aid the Joplin, Mo., relief effort. The May 22 tornado destroyed more than 8,000 buildings and leveled 30 percent of the Joplin area. It is now labeled by the National Weather Service as the deadliest tornado in more than 60 years. ACSDR (Adventist Community Services Disaster Response) received the donation of environmental soaps, shampoo and lotions on behalf of the Joplin residents. “The products Green Suites Project Planet donated are exactly the kind of personal care items people desperately need here, and the donation has already...

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Excel Dryer, Inc. announced that BUILDINGS Magazine has selected its XLERATOR high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryer as a Top Money-Saving Product for 2011. Finalists were based on the money-saving qualities offered to building owners and facility managers in areas such as energy consumption, water savings, lighting, productivity, maintenance, and more. After reviewing more than 125 submissions, BUILDINGS’ editorial staff selected an elite group of products. XLERATOR completely dries hands in 10 to 15 seconds—three times faster than conventional dryers. It uses 80 percent less energy and delivers a 95 percent cost savings versus paper towels, while creating a more...

NEW YORK—The Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium announced that Shafer Commercial Seating has joined the Consortium as a Contributing Member. A family-owned U.S. manufacturer of chairs, booths and tables for the hospitality industry for more than 75 years, Shafer’s membership in the Consortium is another important step toward building a new Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Index (HSPI) that will reflect industry-wide sustainability performance standards for all suppliers, large and small. “High quality, comfortable furniture is an essential element of the guest experience for all hospitality providers,” said Randy Shafer, president of Shafer Commercial Seating, Inc.  “Over the past 15 years, we have...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has released its third annual corporate sustainability report. Focused on Shaw’s commitment to sustainability through Innovation, the report highlights the Berkshire Hathaway company’s environmental and social responsibility leadership. Beginning with the question, “What if Sustainable Business Meant Smarter Business?”, the report covers Shaw’s significant investment in sustainability initiatives during the 2010 calendar year, substantiating the organization’s progress with metrics and data for more than 40 performance indicators. “Stakeholders are looking to private enterprise to take the lead in addressing the most critical questions facing today’s businesses—including questions about environmental and social risks,” said Shaw CEO...

DETROIT—Lighting Enterprises (LEI), a leading maker of decorative lighting and energy saving LEDs for hotel and resort guestrooms and public spaces, has introduced a new line of exclusive hand stitched faux-leather wrap arms for their series of headboard-mount LED flexible reading lights for hotel guestrooms. LEI has been testing this leather feature for a year with a select group of key luxury hotel brands including Grand Hyatt, prior to presenting to the entire hospitality market. The launch at HD Boutique earlier this month showcased Taupe Faux-Leather fixture samples and include black or white options. New literature accompanying the fixture introduction...

ARLINGTON, VA.—Green Path America has partnered with Totally Green as a sales agent of Totally Green’s ORCA Composting Solutions for the Hospitality Industry. The ORCA Green Machine works by utilizing non-hazardous microorganisms in conjunction with biochips. It comes in three sizes, suited to meet the needs of most industrial kitchens, and is fully self-contained. Use of composting practices is widespread in Europe and Asia, but still rare in the American marketplace. The Dallas Cowboys organization is the first U.S. sports franchise to install one of the sophisticated reactors. Nick Sciurba, business development director of Green Path America, said he expects...

LOS ANGELES—Green Globe Certification unveiled its new Green Globe App for Apple mobile devices. The App is available as a free download at the Apple App store under the Travel category. The Green Globe App is a mobile application for Apple iPads, iPhones, and iPods that allows travelers to instantly search for sustainable resorts, hotels, conference centers, attractions, tour experiences, and wedding options. The Green Globe App delivers photos and descriptions of Green Globe-certified businesses, with direct links to booking, views in Google Earth, and YouTube videos.“Green Globe is the leader in certification of sustainable travel and tourism businesses,...

TORRANCE, CALIF.—LEDtronics announces its latest generation of direct incandescent-replacement R16 LED Reflector Lamps with standard 26mm medium screw base. The bulbs operate on 120VAC and provide a concentrated 40-degree beam of light from a cluster of 40 LEDs. The energy-efficient R16-40-SIW-120AM (3,000K warm white) and R16-40-TPW-120AM (5000K natural white) draw just 1.7 watts each and provide up to 140 lumens. They provide an up to 90 percent savings in energy costs over incandescent and halogen bulbs, and have an operating lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. The lamps are ideal for architects, retail store display creators, entertainment designers and other...

VISTA, CALIF.—Waterless Co. Inc. has launched a new website, allowing visitors to enjoy a more attractive site as well as find the information they are looking for far more quickly. According to comments from users beta testing the updated site, the new site is now more “smart-looking,” “better organized,” and “easier to navigate.” According to Niki Bradley, marketing manager for Waterless Co., the first thing visitors see on the site’s home page is a map of the world. “Our waterless urinals are now installed all over the world so it just seemed appropriate,” Bradley says. Next to the map are four large...

LIVONIA, MICH.—The San-O3-tyzer by Hamilton Engineering and Aquawing Ozone Systems is a new system that uses a blend of heat and ozone in every wash cycle. Adding ozone to the wash allows for less chemicals and the use of lower temperature wash water, which will substantially lower utility bills and reduce the carbon footprint of a laundry operation. Additionally, there are San-O3-tyzer models designed to fit in the space of and function as a folding table. San-O3-tyzer systems come in more than 20 standard sizes that can accommodate up to 4,000 pounds of hourly wash capacity. Every San-O3-tyzer is factory...