BELLEVUE, WASH.—To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Expedia.com, the leading online travel agency, announced that it has greatly expanded the company’s Green Hotel program. The new program now offers more than 1,700 green hotels to travelers who prioritize environmental sustainability. These hotels are certified by a cross-section of organizations, including Green Seal, Green Key, LEED and STEP. “At Expedia.com, we realize that green travel is an important offering to a dedicated, passionate set of travelers,” said Tim MacDonald, senior vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. “By offering green-certified hotels, carbon offset options for flights and environmental travel tips,...

LOS ANGELES—The Green Garmento marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with a new partnership with Green Wish. Green Wish is a grassroots, nonprofit charitable organization focused on helping local green organizations fund projects for their communities through small donations at local retailers and online in “pay what you can” denominations. Currently Green Wish, whose board of directors includes actress Sharon Lawrence, actor and noted environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. and his wife Rachelle, funds organizations such as Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots (www.rootsandshoots.org), Organic Farming Research Foundation (www.ofrf.org), Friends of the Los Angeles River (www.folar.org), Santa Monica Baykeeper (www.smbaykeeper.org)...

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Leak Beeper has introduced a wireless version of their patented, toilet-leak detection device. The new Leak Beeper incorporates a Synapse RF engine and network operating system to report leak indications, wirelessly and directly, to a maintenance engineer’s computer via a mesh network. The new wireless device provides a user-friendly way to proactively address toilet leaks and significantly reduce water consumption and costs. The Leak Beeper is a device that detects all of the leaks possible in a toilet’s water tank. Use of the Leak Beeper has reduced water consumption and costs by an average of 28 percent at major hotels...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—The Clorox Company has developed four new natural cleaning products for hotels called Green Works Concentrates. The new line of cleaning products is designed to meet the unique challenges of commercial cleaning, yet is 99 percent natural, giving hotels an advantage in attracting and keeping a growing number of eco-savvy guests. Being eco-savvy is no longer a trend. It has become a lifestyle, dictating consumer attitudes and spending habits, even when it comes to traveling. According to recent surveys, satisfaction is more than 160 points higher among guests who report being aware of their hotel’s green programs and 7...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—General Electric has unveiled its new 40-watt LED bulb that will last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, which are being phased out in the United States. The bulb, part of GE’s Energy Smart line, will last more than 25,000 hours, compared to the typical 1,000-hour lifespan of incandescent bulbs. When used for three hours a day (the average used by Energy Star for comparing bulb performance), the GE 40-watt LED would last close to 23 years. At four hours per day, the average GE uses, it would last 17 years. The bulb consumes 9 watts of energy, produces the...

ATLANTA—Simmons Hospitality Bedding, a division of Simmons Contract Sales LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Simmons Bedding Company, is making public its findings from a November 2007 survey aimed at gauging the interest of hotel guests in eco-oriented hotel elements and programs. The survey, which Simmons originally conducted for internal research purposes only, involved more than 300 respondents who are members of different hotels’ frequent guest programs. The results show that hotel environmental responsibility gained traction among guests, with 93 percent of respondents aware of hotel programs geared toward conserving water or energy. Simmons’ research also illustrates how hotel eco-elements potentially...

ST. LOUIS—CPFilms Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Solutia Inc., and a leading producer of professional window films for automotive, residential and commercial markets, has introduced a new film product. The EnerLogic Series is the latest addition to the Vista lineup of architectural window films. Featuring a patent-pending, low-e coating, EnerLogic window film adds up to 92 percent more insulating power to existing commercial and residential windows—improving energy efficiency in every season. In summer, heat from the sun is reflected away from windows, easing the stress on air-conditioning. In winter, radiant heat from heating systems is directed back into the...

SAN DIEGO—HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, a leading distributor of maintenance products and operating supplies to the hospitality industry, announced the release of its 2010 Catalog (Volume 60) containing 22,000 stocked maintenance, repair and operating products. The catalog also features the company’s value-added services. The annually produced catalog has 1,800 pages of products, trade tips and technical information to help customers find what they need quickly. The catalog is also available at www.hdsupplysolutions.com in a fully searchable version. “We are committed to being the best partner possible to our customers and continue to provide products they need with exceptional customer...

DALLAS—Sofitel Luxury Hotels, the French luxury hotel brand within the Accor group, has adopted the Green Key Eco-Rating program as its official green lodging certification program for the United States. By instituting Green Key as a brand standard, Sofitel has committed to having its entire U.S. portfolio comprised of eight properties on the program by the end of April 2010. Accor is widely recognized within the hospitality industry as one of the most progressive companies in regards to sustainability initiatives. Sofitel’s commitment to Green Key follows on the heels Accor North America (ANA) launching a Green Key pilot earlier this...

MINNEAPOLIS—Entropy Solutions, Inc., a Minneapolis-based thermal technology development company, has introduced PureTemp for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air- conditioning). A vegetable oil derivative, PureTemp is a phase change material (PCM) that captures wasted ambient energy, and then releases this energy as necessary to hold specific temperatures for extended periods of time without requiring additional energy. PureTemp for HVAC is the world’s first and only 100 percent renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly material designed to work with HVAC systems. When integrated into the infrastructure of an HVAC system, PureTemp captures the tremendous amount of wasted energy generated every time a furnace,...