SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA—In celebration of World Tourism Day, September 27, the Rainforest Alliance, an international conservation organization, released the results of a study that examines whether tourism businesses in Latin America benefit from applying sustainable practices to their operations. The study, titled “A Cost and Benefit Analysis of Best Practice Implementation in Tourism Businesses,” was conducted earlier this year with 14 tourism businesses in Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Ecuador. The data shows that businesses working with the Rainforest Alliance’s sustainable tourism program gained tangible benefits from the application of best management practices for environmental and social...

COOPERSBURG, PA.—Lutron Services Company has announced the introduction of the Lighting Energy Audit, a new program designed to help facility managers and building owners reduce lighting-associated costs, implement creative energy-saving strategies, and enhance their reputation as leaders in environmentally responsible initiatives. As commercial buildings across the United States continue to age, facility management teams are increasingly being faced with issues ranging from inefficient light sources to outdated control strategies. The growing focus on sustainability has prompted many of these teams to re-examine their lighting systems when looking for new ways to save energy while lowering operating and maintenance costs....

TORRANCE, CALIF.—LEDtronics announces the latest additions to its series of energy-efficient replacements for PAR30-style light bulbs. The high-power Dimmable PAR30 is available in Halogen Warm White (2700 to 2800 Kelvin) and Warm White (3200K). These Dimmable PAR30 LED bulbs offer long-lasting durability, low power consumption and money savings. They run on standard 120 volts AC, requiring no special adapters, while only consuming 12 watts to a maximum of 15 watts. These Dimmable LED PAR30 bulbs work with most standard 120 VAC dimmer units, offering a full, smooth dimming range and directly replace standard halogens and metal halide bulbs up to...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes FLS Energy, Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. FLS Energy is a solar energy generation company providing planning, design, installation and financing solutions for clients seeking clean energy alternatives and a hedge against rising energy costs. The company’s portfolio includes some of the largest solar hot water systems in the country in addition to utility scale solar electricity farms. Notable FLS Energy hotel installations include the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., and the Hilton Asheville (N.C.). In Tennessee, two installations include the Hilton Knoxville Airport...

ORLANDO, FLA.—RezHub.com has re-launched their website, delivering discount and green travel to the mainstream. The concept was born out of the understanding that while many travelers are interested in going green on vacation, these kinds of trips are often overlooked because they are perceived as too expensive or too extreme. RezHub has been able to remove these misconceptions by eliminating barriers including: higher cost, longer duration, and limited availability. And even when a green opportunity is not available for a particular trip, travelers may still feel good about travel knowing that RezHub always donates 20 percent of their profits...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Concept Amenities Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Concept Amenities is the maker of ERP, a complete range of bathroom guest amenities that are biodegradable in the landfill. Designed to reduce solid waste disposal, ERP products, according to Concept Amenities, will not negatively impact the environment in the long term. Concept Amenities offers a wide range of other product lines including Eco Fresh, Basic Earth Botanicals, Ecossential Elements, and Kudos Spa. The company also offers Eco Fresh and VIVE dispensers for public rest rooms, spa...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Continental Girbau, Inc. recently introduced the 55-pound capacity E-Series, a soft-mount washer-extractor engineered to reduce operating costs at on-premise laundries through decreased gas, water and electricity consumption. The E-Series line of high-speed, soft-mount washers previously included 20-, 30- and 40-pound capacity models. But, the market’s demand for a larger option spurred the addition of the new 55-pound capacity machine, according to Joel Jorgensen, Continental vice president of sales and customer services. “On-premise laundries demand high-speed, soft-mount washers in order to improve productivity using less labor and utilities,” Jorgensen said. “Continental’s 55-pound machine is just the next step in the...

GARDEN GROVE, CALIF.—Sterling Hospitality has partnered with Michael Koo, founder of NuBrand and former Managing director/chief executive with Simmons Asia, to bring Sterling Hospitality’s modular mattresses to the Pacific Rim. “We are excited to work with Michael and his team at NuBrand to expand Sterling Hospitality’s presence in South East Asia,” says Sterling Hospitality CEO, Tony Hochschild. “This partnership will allow Asian hotel owners to provide a high quality mattress that will increase guest satisfaction and decrease solid waste by reducing the number of mattresses being sent to landfills.” Koo will distribute Sterling Hospitality’s environmentally sustainable beds to hotels, clubs and...

BENTON HARBOR, MICH.—Whirlpool Corp. announced it has been named to the Newsweek Green Rankings, a list of the 500 greenest big companies in America. Whirlpool ranked 78th on the list. “We are honored to be included in the Newsweek Green Rankings,” said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool Corp.’s chairman and CEO. “Recognition like this is only possible because of the people at Whirlpool who make our long-term commitment to sustainability a reality.” Nearly 40 years ago, Whirlpool Corp. established a corporate office for environmental control and, in 2003, became the world’s first appliance manufacturer to announce a global greenhouse gas reduction target....

SAN FRANCISCO—When the upscale Hotel Griffon in San Francisco receives its October water bill, they can anticipate a pleasant surprise. That’s because the boutique building’s 57 rooms and five luxury suites have recently been retrofitted with Perfect Flush dual-flush systems by Brondell. This dual-flush functionality will reduce the Hotel Griffon’s toilet water use by upwards of 18,000 gallons monthly, thereby saving the establishment close to $3,500 dollars per year. In 2007, the Hotel Griffon underwent a full renovation. While that makeover included the installation of 1.6-gallon toilet tanks in all of its rooms, the popular Bay-area hotel wanted to...