ROGERS, ARK.—BioBased 1701s Insulation is the first spray polyurethane foam insulation to meet the stringent GREENGUARD Certification guidelines for indoor air quality. The GREENGUARD Certification Program is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. The first GREENGUARD Certification was awarded in the fall of 2002. BioBased Insulation’s soy-based, water-blown, closed cell insulation product earned both the GREENGUARD Certification and the GREENGUARD Certification for Children & Schools. “Our company is focused on developing insulation products that are more sustainable than traditional products,” said Mike Muccio, chief operating officer of BioBased Insulation. “We believe that sustainability means more than just...

WESTFORD, MASS.—Spinwave Systems, Inc. and AscentIQ, Inc. announced that they have teamed up to produce a complete energy management solution that will make it faster and easier to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Combining second-generation wireless technology with a flexible software platform, the new energy management solution will make energy usage data available to company management in a clear format, tied directly to business goals. The system allows users to integrate their energy management systems with software used to run their businesses, such as financial reporting programs, making it easier to analyze, share, and apply energy usage information throughout...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Watt Stopper/Legrand welcomed close to 300 guests to the company’s headquarters here last month for its highly successful GreenFair. More than 30 exhibitors were on hand to discuss environmentally friendly products and services that ranged from building materials made from reclaimed materials to electric vehicles to recycling programs and commute alternatives to organic food, wine and pet supplies. Also in attendance were the mayors of Santa Clara and Los Gatos as well as San Jose’s energy officer. Watt Stopper/Legrand president Jerry Mix greeted early attendees, explaining that the fair was the work of Watt Stopper employees who wanted...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Dave Rutherford, who has more than 10 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience and 15 years of foodservice sales experience, has become an independent representative for several different companies. His company, RDI Sales and Marketing, is specializing in companies that offer “green” products to the hospitality industry. “I started down this path years ago while I was the director of sales and marketing with Sunbeam Products,” Rutherford says. “We developed products that would save energy and show a return to the hotels. The focus now is not only on the hotel but the environment as well. The company...

PORTLAND, ORE.—With shared vision and focus, The Heathman Hotel and Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects (AMAA) have partnered to deliver a locally responsible, sustainable and efficient remodel of all 155 of the historic hotel’s bathrooms. Beginning this month hotel guests are able to experience the remodeled bathrooms and see that luxury and sustainability can coexist. In October 2007, AMAA, an integrated architectural and interior design firm based in Portland, Ore., was tasked with implementing a sustainable remodel within a historic and luxury hotel. “We welcomed the opportunity to work with the Heathman Hotel, a renowned Northwest historic icon,” said Karen Bowery, head...

BROADVIEW, ILL.—As public demand for green initiatives in business increases, management and public relations teams are constantly looking for more effective ways to communicate the effectiveness of their environmental programs to current and potential customers. In response to this growing market trend, Air Cycle Corp. has developed Online Recycling Reports, an innovative solution to identify, track, review, and communicate lamp, ballast, battery and electronic recycling totals for any organization. Air Cycle Corp. has already established itself in the recycling services market with the EasyPak pre-paid recycling container program, bulk pickup options for larger facilities, and the Bulb Eater, the original...

IRVINE, CALIF.—Food Recycle Science continues its innovations in food waste recycle technologies with the introduction of the new eCorect system—a high-speed food waste recycling machine, through a distribution partnership with Lancaster, Pa.-based Somat Co., a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Company which was recently named a 2008 Energy Star Partner of the Year. The eCorect system is an environmentally-friendly waste dehydrating machine that rapidly reduces/decomposes the weight and volume of food waste, meat scraps, small chicken and fish bones and paper/cardboard and compostables by 85 to 93 percent and transforms them into a high-quality, humus rich organic soil amendment...

ELLWOOD CITY, PA.—The Energy Services Division of The Eric Ryan Corp. has been contracted to provide utility bill auditing and energy consulting services to a U.S.-based hotel management company with properties in the Caribbean Islands. The Ellwood City, Pa., company signed its first international contract in June with Caribbean Property Group LLC. The company operates 14 properties in the Caribbean Islands, including The Palm Beach Aruba Marriott and Ritz-Carlton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “It has become very apparent that the energy crisis has catapulted the request for energy consumption and cost analysis to the forefront of business owners’ minds and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Since issuing GS-33, the Environmental Standard for Lodging Properties, in 1999, Green Seal, Inc. has certified many lodging properties in a number of states. The standard has been revised in minor ways twice, and remains a leadership standard that challenges the lodging industry to operate more sustainably. After reviewing its Green Lodging Program and the progress it has made over the years, Green Seal has decided to propose a provisional revision of GS-33. This revision will primarily enable properties to be certified at three different levels to reflect the range of performance and the difficulty in achieving a high...

PHOENIX—Many hotels and resorts now tout their environmentally friendly practices to lure eco-conscious travelers. It can be hard for consumers to tell if a hotel is truly eco-friendly or just employing sneaky PR tactics. iStayGreen’s social network will create accountability, forcing properties to own up to whether they’re truly green or greenwashing. iStayGreen.org lists more than 95,000 lodging properties worldwide with just under 3,000 currently Green Leaf Rated (their proprietary green rating system). “Our members separate fact from hype,” says Richard Varner, founder of iStayGreen.org. “We’ve created a social network structure, much like Facebook, where our members can rally together...