HIGHLAND PARK, ILL.—Solo Cup Company announced the introduction of Bare by Solo compostable plates made with sugarcane. The ivory-colored plates feature an on-trend, square design that offers a stylish alternative to traditional round single-use dinnerware. The new plates also offer consumers an environmentally preferable way to serve meals every day or on special occasions using renewable materials that can also reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. “Being ‘greener’ doesn’t have to equal boring or difficult,” said Kim Healy, vice president of consumer marketing at Solo. “Bare by Solo products offer fresh designs that reflect our consumers’ environmentally...

MURRIETA, CALIF.—Green Globe International, Inc., the worldwide owner of the Green Globe brand, announced a preliminary agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding with Green Seal, Inc., the independent eco-label in the United States, under which the two brands will explore opportunities to collaborate to promote sustainability on a global scale. Green Seal has been developing environmental standards since 1989. These environmental standards include requirements to reduce, to the extent technologically and economically feasible, the environmental and health impacts associated with services and the manufacture, use, and end of life or life cycle of products. Set on a...

LOS ANGELES—Meeting new, stringent definitions for sustainable carpet, Bentley Prince Street, Inc. announced that all of its standard broadloom products are certified at the highest Platinum Level with the new NSF 140-2007 Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard. In addition, all of Bentley Prince Street’s standard carpet tile products, as well as all broadloom products using the optional Prestige PlusRC backing, are certified at the Gold Level. NSF 140 is the first multi-attribute American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for environmentally preferable building materials in the construction industry. The product rating system was conducted by NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Ecoflame International Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Ecoflame markets a sugar cane-based ethanol, nontoxic heating gel for use in the hospitality, restaurant and catering industries. Ecoflame Gel burns clean and is safe. As most other chafing fuel heating products are derivatives of petroleum and natural gas, they produce poisonous emissions of carbon monoxide, are carcinogenic, include dioxin, and are finite resources. Ecoflame Gel is a renewable resource with no poisonous emissions and is packaged in refillable and recyclable steel cans. For more information, call...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Energy Retrofit Group (ERG), the subsidiary of 40-year-old, award-winning Adache Group Architects, Inc., has announced the creation of their new energy conservation website www.energy-rg.com. “Our site describes how large commercial buildings, such as schools, hotels, retail malls, supermarket chains, and corporate office headquarters, can maximize their energy efficiency, especially interior lighting, heating and cooling, and hot water systems by retrofitting,” said Dan Adache, chairman of the board. Adache points out that the new site contains important information and offers links to government programs and tax incentives for energy retrofitting. For example, the IRS has designated tax deductions for individuals...

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Franklin, Tenn.-based Leak Beeper installed their patented, toilet-leak detection devices in Metro Manor Apartments, a 170-unit building in Nashville, Tenn. over a three-week period from mid-October to early November. With nine months of complete usage data available after the installation, the Leak Beeper was able to reduce the building’s water consumption by a monthly average of 37 percent. Specifically, gallons of water used per unit, per day fell from a pre-installation average of 81.9 gallons to a post-installation average of 52 gallons. Pre-installation average total gallons per day used by the building fell from 13,930 gallons to a...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—Natural Products for Living, Inc., a distributor of organic Canadian-made personal care products, announced that The Green Beaver Company, whom they represent for U.S. distribution, was awarded a license to manufacture certified organic personal body care products by ECOCERT. The Green Beaver Company becomes one of 11 Canadian companies to achieve this coveted designation in the growing organic marketplace. ECOCERT, a leader in organic and ecological product certifications, requires that ingredients be subjected to vigorous product formulation and on-site plant audits. Manufacturing facilities and product packaging are subject to stringent ECOCERT requirements to complete organic status. Based in France...

NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO—Moen Incorporated’s Commercial Division, a leader in hands-free flush- valve technology, introduces a new line of easy-to-operate FreeHand High Efficiency flush valves. These valves promote water and energy savings by using an infrared sensor beam to activate a flush cycle when a user is in range, ensuring efficient water use and sanitary protection. FreeHand High Efficiency flush valves also help to promote water savings with new low flow rates. Water closet flush valves feature a flow rate of 1.28 gallons per minute (gpm), a 20 percent savings from the industry standard of 1.6 gpm. FreeHand High Efficiency Urinal...

SCHAUMBURG, ILL.—Aero-Tech introduces its Evolution-Bulb compact fluorescent. It is now available in Candelabra “Small-Base” for decorative bulb applications. It is ideal for ceiling fans, wall sconces, chandeliers and more. The bulb is available in 11 watts and 14 watts, and 2700K (warm white), and 5,000K (full-spectrum) color temperatures. Go to Aero-Tech.

HILLSBORO, OREGON—Caroma, a leader in dual flush toilets, urinals, and bathroom sinks, announces its newest high efficiency toilet (HET): the Profile Smart. The Profile Smart HET incorporates a sink into the lid of the toilet tank for increased water savings opportunities in the bathroom. The Profile Smart with integrated sink features Caroma Smart technology, developed and mastered over the last decade, delivering a combination of design, water savings, and performance. Like all Caroma toilets, the Profile Smart is dual flush, using 1.28 gallons of water per flush (gpf) for a full flush and 0.8 gpf for the half flush. This...