KOHLER, WISC.—At the recent Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Kohler Co., a global leader in kitchen and bath design and technology, showcased two of the company’s newest water-saving toilets: the gravity-fed Kohler Persuade with Twin Touch technology and the Kohler San Raphael Pressure Lite. The San Raphael is Kohler’s first one-piece, 1.0 gallon-per-flush (gpf) high-efficiency toilet with pressure assist technology. The toilet uses compressed air within the reservoir to propel water to the rim and siphon jet for robust flushing power. The 1.0 gpf could save a household of four between 7,000 and 10,000 gallons of water annually, versus the...

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—There’s an “invasion” of little pink bags occurring in female restrooms across the United States as inventor-entrepreneur Ann Germanow launches SCENSIBLES, a specially designed single-use scented bag for the hygienic disposal of feminine care products. “The inspiration for SCENSIBLES came several years ago when I noticed signs in public restrooms that read: Do not flush tampons,” explained Germanow, co-founder and president of The Scensible Source Company, LLC. “The only option was discarding items in filthy, germ-contaminated stall waste bins which were unacceptable to me.” SCENSIBLES bags are designed with a contemporary pink on pink floral pattern, with a delicate scent...

PITTSBURGH—Pittsburgh Paints is launching a new line of paints and hues. The EcoEcho color palettes, part of Pittsburgh Paints’ The Voice of Color program, are designed to echo the growing interest in the ecological/environmental movement. Eco-consciousness is being broadcast from every angle—spanning fashion, home decor, automobile design, even food trends, according to Josette Buisson, artistic director of Pittsburgh Paints. “From paint to cosmetics, jeans to kitchen flooring, our preference for greener options makes a statement about who we are, and our new way of life,” Buisson says. The following are the company’s descriptions of the four emerging color trends within EcoEcho for...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes AquaRecycle as a Green Product & Service Directory sponsor. AquaRecycle manufactures systems that recycle 100 percent of laundry wastewater. That water is then reused within the laundry. AquaRecycle’s proven technology provides customers with 80 percent water and sewer savings and 50 percent energy savings. The company’s innovative technology can qualify a facility for LEED points. Call (866) 272-9253, e-mail sales@aquarecycle.com, or go to www.aquarecycle.com.

CHICAGO—Constellation Energy announced that its subsidiary, Constellation NewEnergy, has entered into a green electricity purchase agreement with the InterContinental Chicago Hotel. As part of the agreement, Constellation NewEnergy will secure approximately 2 million kilowatt hours of Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) through its NewMix Super product to match 50 percent of the hotel’s electricity usage. “Working with Constellation NewEnergy to match half of the hotel’s energy demands is in perfect alignment with our commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices,” said Chris Mander, regional vice president and general manager, InterContinental Chicago. “In addition to furthering our own environmental goals, we...

AURORA, OHIO—TCP Inc. announced that it is a charter member of the newly formed U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Council. The council was announced during the two-day Mayors Climate Protection Summit in Seattle last month. The new Climate Protection Council brings business leaders and mayors together to address the issue of climate change and discuss innovative solutions for helping to make cities more sustainable. In addition to TCP, the seven Charter Members include: The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers; American Chemistry Council; DuPont; Johnson Controls, Inc.; Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Waste Management. “As the largest manufacturer of energy saving light...

LAS VEGAS—With SensorStat, a direct digital control thermostat distributed by EnerBrite Technologies Group, Inc., two major Florida hotels have found a way to save on both energy costs and maintenance costs associated with mold and mildew. The Radisson Hotel Palm Beach Airport and the Clarion Jacksonville Airport Hotel & Conference Center both credit SensorStat for helping them meet the challenge. “Unbelievably, we have already reached (a return of investment) just 12 months after installation,” said Clarion Jacksonville Airport general manager Norman LeBert, who had SensorStat installed in June 2006. “Also, energy costs in our area were actually increasing at a...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its fourth case study to its new Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and how it has effectively tackled the challenge of safely disposing thousands of fluorescent lamps. The study details how the Las Vegas Convention Center uses Air Cycle Corp.’s Bulb Eater to safely crush and store the lamps. That is important because fluorescent lamps contain potentially harmful mercury. LVCVA now has two Bulb Eater machines at the Convention Center. This OSHA- and EPA-compliant device crushes more than 1,000 fluorescent lamps (amount...

WALTHAM, MASS.—American DG Energy Inc., a leading on-site utility offering electricity, heat, hot water and cooling to hospitality facilities, has entered into a 15-year agreement to supply low-cost energy to the Hotel Indigo Boston–Newton Riverside, a branded boutique hotel located in Newton, Mass. Under the terms of the agreement, Hotel Indigo will soon receive a substantial portion of its electricity, space heat, swimming pool heat and domestic hot water directly from an on-site cogeneration facility, providing 100 kW and 732,000 btu’s per hour of energy while offsetting up to 328 tons of CO2 gas each year. American DG Energy will...

SHOREWOOD, ILL.—MJSI, Inc. has released its proprietary HydroClean toilet fill valve for the hotel industry. The HydroClean is the only toilet fill valve that is specifically engineered to save water, detect leaks, clean the tank and eliminate water hammer. Unlike ordinary fill valves, the HydroClean calibrates the proper water flow to the toilet and the tank without compromising flush efficiency. Miscalibration is the most frequent source of water loss in toilets—even in high efficiency toilets. In a collaborative study with a major hotel chain, it was found that installation of the HydroClean toilet fill valve in high efficiency 1.6-gallon toilets...