SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS—Travelocity announced it will add hundreds of properties to its Green Hotel Directory that have been validated by Hilton Worldwide’s innovative sustainability measurement system, LightStay. Travelocity is awarding its coveted “eco-friendly hotel” leaf tag to more than 300 elite properties among the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, each of which has made significant strides toward sustainability. Travelocity is the only major online travel company that tags eco-friendly hotels site-wide. “Our eco-friendly leaf is a symbol consumers can trust, and it makes shopping a snap,” says Alison Presley, manager of Travelocity’s Travel for Good program. “We’re excited to award it to over...

CINCINNATI—American businesses want to clean up their act when it comes to environmental responsibility, but a perceived lack of information and credible resources are holding them back, according to the “Business Cleaning Sustainability Study” conducted on behalf of Procter & Gamble Professional, Procter & Gamble’s away-from-home division serving the foodservice, building cleaning and maintenance, hospitality and convenience store industries. The online study was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, a leading research company, on behalf of P&G Professional. Businesses were surveyed on their sustainability knowledge, product purchase decision-making process and cleaning habits to gauge perceptions, attitudes and behaviors about topics related...

ROSEMONT, ILL.—U.S. Foodservice, one of the nation’s largest food distributors, announced a new initiative that helps restaurants and other food establishments bring local and regional products to their customers. U.S. Foodservice’s restaurant customers can now easily determine if a product is locally sourced through the company’s online ordering system. Local products will be identified by a special “local” icon and will include detailed product information, including the location of the grower or manufacturer and the distance from the supplier to the U.S. Foodservice distribution center. “This is an industry leading approach that provides transparency about our product sourcing and promotes...

WINCHESTER, VA.—Trex, the nation’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking, railing and fencing, has received a Verification of Attributes Report (VAR-1011) from ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) under the Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation (SAVE) Program. The VAR provides independent third-party confirmation that Trex’s wood-alternative products are manufactured with a minimum of 95.4 percent recycled content. Trex is the first wood-alternative decking manufacturer to obtain an ICC-ES SAVE verification. “Receiving verification on the recycled content of our products from an organization as respected and recognized as ICC-ES creates additional credibility among both our professional partners and consumers,” said Kyle Lancaster, director of...

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Sustainable Living Group, Inc. has been launched to provide the travel, industrial, hospitality and lifestyle industries with eco-friendly products made from sustainable resources. Sustainable Living Group was started because the founders felt there was a lack of everyday products that are made with sustainable materials—from simple necessities like shower caps and shower curtains to industrial products like biodegradable ponchos, coveralls and aprons.    “We founded Sustainable Living Group because we felt that there was a lack of eco-friendly products that we as consumers really wanted to be more readily available to purchase and use,” said Quyen Huynh, COO of...

BELLEVUE, WASH.—Expedia.com, a leading online travel agency, announced that a first wave of 300-plus properties using LightStay within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotel brands will be added to the Expedia.com Green Hotel Program. LightStay is Hilton Worldwide’s proprietary sustainability measurement system, on par with many of the best-in-class systems globally. With the addition of these hotels, the Expedia.com Green Hotel program now includes more than 2,000 hotels, giving Expedia.com one of the most comprehensive selections of eco-friendly travel options among all online travel agencies. “Expedia.com is committed to helping travelers find the broadest range of ‘green’ properties in the...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Newton Distributing Co. as a Product & Service Directory partner. Newton Distributing Co. specializes in supplying restroom products including environmentally friendly hand dryers, faucets, flush valves, baby changing stations, drinking water fountains, toilet accessories, partitions and much more. The products represented in Newton’s selection are manufactured by leading companies such as Excel Dryer, Rubbermaid, Sloan Valve, Moen, American Standard, Elkay, Kohler, and TOTO. For more information, e-mail lance@NewtonDistributing.com, call (877) 837-7745, or go to www.newtondistributing.com.

TROY, MICH.— ilumisys, Inc., developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, announced that channel partner Ecogreen Solutions Inc. has installed light-emitting diode (LED) light tubes at Holiday Inn Old Town in San Diego and Casa Romantica in San Clemente, Calif., to reduce energy costs and maintenance requirements. Los Angeles-based Ecogreen Solutions replaced T-8 fluorescent lights with ilumisys MK-1 LED light tubes at both facilities, which will result in nearly $4,000 in energy cost savings annually for Holiday Inn Old Town and more than $10,000 in annual savings for Casa Romantica.  Holiday Inn Old Town replaced more than 200 fluorescent light...

CHICAGO—Cintas Corp. announced the availability of a new eco-apparel option for the housekeeping department. Designed with the environment in mind, Cintas’ Velocity collection has been reinvented to include a 60/40 recycled polyester/polyester blend fabric. This is one of several eco-friendly collections by Cintas to be introduced for housekeeping this year. “Housekeeping is often the largest department in a hotel,” said Todd McKeown, vice president of hospitality at Cintas. “By converting our existing collections into eco-apparel, housekeepers now have a choice that supports their hotel’s green initiatives. Using eco-friendly garments in the housekeeping department substantially broadens a hotel’s environmental commitment.” To develop...

HOUSTON—The Green Business Bureau (GBB) announced the latest addition to its best-in-class green business certification platform—GBB Eco-Industries Program for Hotels (E-IPH). It features initiatives and information to help members gain an edge in the competitive hotel and lodging industry. “The desire for green hotels and lodging options is growing like every other area of green consumerism,” said Marcos Cordero, GBB CEO and co-founder. “The proof lies in the proliferation of green travel sites and directories, coverage of the trend by major media outlets, and study after study that shows travelers are not only looking for green accommodations, but are willing...