WASHINGTON, D.C.—Kimberly-Clark and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced the expansion of Kimberly-Clark’s membership in the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN), a WWF initiative to eliminate illegal logging and conserve the world’s most valuable and threatened forests. Kimberly-Clark will now include its worldwide operations in the initiative, building on its existing GFTN membership in select countries. The participation scope now includes all wood fibers sourced for all of the company’s products sold globally in the Personal Care, Consumer Tissue and Kimberly-Clark Professional businesses. The announcement was made at the GFTN’s 20th Anniversary Reception at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) General...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Marietta Corp., a leading hotel amenities provider to the hospitality industry worldwide, has partnered with Clean the World Global LLC to help recycle hotel soaps and bottled amenities and stop the spread of preventable diseases worldwide. The partnership broadens Marietta’s corporate social responsibility initiatives among its extensive list of hotel partners in North America and extends its eco-friendly portfolio of amenity services, which already include “green” product offerings, such as Aveda, Naturals, PAYA Organics, ProTerra, Sonoma Soap Co., Earth’s Accents, Dispensers and Eco Gallons. Orlando, Fla.-based Clean the World is the largest global recycler of hotel amenities and offers sustainable,...

BOSTON—The Westin Copley Place general manager Michael Jorgensen announced that The Westin Copley Place is the first Starwood Hotel in the United States and the first hotel in Boston to join Green Hotels Global, an environmental program that requires hotels to disclose their carbon footprint, energy consumption, water usage and waste generation associated with room-night usage and event bookings. “We are proud to carry the torch for the Green Hotels Global program for Starwood in the United States,” said Jorgensen. “We have made great strides in reducing the hotel’s overall carbon footprint over the past four years. We are committed,...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Saving Green by Going Green, a new book from MeetGreen, focuses on the business case for green meetings and then digs into the step by step process to put a sustainability framework into action. The term “green meetings” is a common one to most event planners these days. Even if they don’t actually implement green practices, they’ve heard about it, along with the misconception that they cost more to produce. Most books, seminars and webinars on the topic focus on the “why” of sustainable events and then a few go into the basic “how.” Very few have dug deeply...

DALLAS—VingCard Elsafe, part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, has launched a new combined corporate website. The newly designed site is meant to replace the current individual sites for the company’s brands, which include VingCard, Elsafe, Orion and Polarbar. VingCard Elsafe is a leader in developing locking systems and electronic in-room safes for the hospitality industry, offering security systems that meet the operational needs of hotels and resorts. Additional product lines include Orion energy management systems and Polarbar minibar systems, which are offered in selected regions of the world. This newly launched VingCard Elsafe website unifies the company’s comprehensive hospitality product range...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality introduces the new TruDim CFL from TCP, Inc. The TruDim CFL performs like a traditional incandescent bulb—with dimming capability all the way down to 2 percent of lighting capacity—with all the environmental benefits of CFL technology. “In the past, dimmable CFL bulbs would flicker when they got to the lower end of their lighting range,” says David Geraci, CFL product manager for TCP. “This is because typical dimmer switches are built for incandescent bulbs, not CFLs. This flicker creates not only a bad visual experience, but it can actually cause early failures for the bulbs. The...

HUATULCO, MEXICO—Huatulco, in southern Mexico, recently became the first destination in the Americas to receive EarthCheck’s Gold certification. Huatulco received the certification for meeting the sustainable tourism requirements of EarthCheck across a range of aspects such as environmental legislation, energy usage, water conservation, wastewater management, biodiversity, and waste reduction. Speaking at the EarthCheck Sustainable Tourism Forum, also held this year in Huatulco, Adriana Perez Quesnel, director of the Fondo Nacional del Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR), said, “We are immensely proud to receive this certification and even more so to be the first destination in the Americas to do so. This...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—Neenah Paper has launched an enhanced version of its Neenah Eco-Calculator featuring greater customization capabilities. The Neenah Eco-Calculator instantly calculates the environmental savings achieved by choosing one of Neenah’s large selection of recycled papers made with post-consumer fiber papers. Highlights of the new Eco-Calculator include allowing the user to create a personalized, customizable and printable report and recording each project for future reference. Additional new features include:  • Personalized Environmental Savings Report. Each calculation is saved to a customized report that includes the client/customer’s name, project name and a detailed listing of the Neenah Paper selections including brand chosen;...

VERNON, ALA.—Marathon Equipment Co. and BioHitech America announced a strategic alliance to promote organic waste processing products worldwide. Industry experts estimate that more than 40 percent of the food produced in the United States—more than $50 billion—is thrown into the garbage every year. This equates to more than 32 million tons of food waste, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates costs more than $1 billion annually in disposal costs. In its commitment to help customers reduce the costs associated with managing solid waste, Marathon, an industry leader in compaction and recycling equipment, has sought the expertise of Allendale, N.J.-based...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Móz Designs introduces a new concept in interior décor, Móz Blendz Tapestry “floating wall” surfaces for use as room dividers and decorative elements in hospitality and hotel venues. Móz “floating walls” are fabricated from the company’s Blendz Laminate Metals, which are available in .040 gauge aluminum. Standard sheet sizes include 4-foot by 8-foot and 4-foot by 10-foot with custom dimensions also offered. The laminate metals are typically installed on the floating walls prior to site installation. The Blendz Collection features a dramatic surface treatment with blended colors, offered in a range of palettes from warm earth tones to cool...