MONTREAL, QUEBEC—After 16 years working to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry, the Green Restaurant Assn. just endorsed the first cleaning chemical to meet its high standards—Montreal-based Earth Alive’s RapidAll. Restaurants expose their customers and staff to an array of toxic chemicals that are harmful to one’s health and to the environment. Earth Alive’s products are so safe that they do not need to be regulated and have MSDS sheets of 0 across the board. Earth Alive’s RapidAll will do what traditionally harmful and dangerous acidic chemicals can do such as heavy duty degreasing. It is exempt...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Fortune magazine announced that Milliken & Co. has once again been ranked on the tenth annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, coming in at No. 93. Milliken also ranked No. 36 on the Best Medium-Sized Company list. The complete list and related stories appears in the January 22 issue of Fortune, available on newsstands January 15 and now at www.fortune.com. “Milliken’s incredibly talented workforce has demonstrated again that quality of work-life goes hand in hand with quality of product, environmental excellence, and social responsibility,” says Dr. Ashley Allen, Milliken’s president & CEO. “We will continue...

CINCINNATI—Procter & Gamble Professional (PGP), the away-from-home division of consumer products giant Procter & Gamble (P&G), has launched a website outlining its approach to providing environmentally responsible cleaning products to the janitorial/sanitation and lodging industries. The P&G Pro Line Green Guarantee website, found at www.greenguarantee.com, highlights PGP’s stringent environmental standards, as well as the holistic approach its research and development team follows for creating each product. “From the environmentally responsible nature of our products to the solid reputation of P&G, PGP has a great story to tell,” says J.F. Couture, brand manager for PGP. “This site will help...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Dispenser Amenities Inc. as a Green Product Directory partner. “Dispenser Amenities’ mission is to provide environmentally smart dispensing of bath and shower liquids in hotel rooms, clubs and spas,” says Warren Hodgson, international sales manager for Dispenser Amenities. “Instead of individual-use bottles that become waste, we dispense superior quality natural liquids through attractive, cost-effective dispensers that are available in designs, sizes and finishes to suit any property.” Go to Dispenser Amenities or call 800-639-4756 for more information.

CARTERSVILLE, GA.—Shaw Contract Group recently introduced EcoWorx Performance Broadloom, the commercial carpet industry’s first fully sustainable, cradle to cradle carpet backing for broadloom carpet products. With broadloom carpet comprising approximately 70 percent of the entire commercial floor covering market, the introduction of EcoWorx Performance Broadloom will play a significant role in reducing the amount of carpet sent to landfills after its useful life, and marks another significant step in Shaw Industries’ ongoing, comprehensive commitment to providing cradle to cradle product and process solutions for its customers. Built on the success of EcoWorx—the carpet industry’s first fully sustainable,...

NEW PORT RITCHEY, FLA.—Merrychef USA announced that it has reached an agreement to be the supplier of choice for accelerated cooking ovens to Global Hyatt Corp.’s newest brand, Hyatt Place. Under the agreement, Merrychef will provide multiple Model 402(S) ovens for each property. The Merrychef ovens will provide accelerated cooking technology for the rebranded concept’s hot food offerings. “Hyatt Place is revolutionary on many levels, and one of its most innovative components is the food and beverage program,” says John Vogelmeier, director of food and beverage operations, Select Hotels Group, LLC. “Because of that, we needed to...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality’s new compact fluorescent (CFL) Fresh Bulb not only improves the guest experience by providing superior light quality and eliminating strong odors, but it also demonstrates a commitment to helping preserve the planet’s precious resources. “Environmentally conscious customers will appreciate knowing their stays at your hotel will have less impact on the environment, and this leaves a positive impression of your property,” says Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality. “You also benefit, as the Fresh Bulb provides a complete payback in just a few months and a 20-fold overall return on investment in lighting cost-savings....

NATIONAL REPORT—As a marketing concept, EcoRooms have been around since 1995. It was then that Upland, Calif.-based Green Suites International developed the idea. For whatever reason—confusion in the marketplace caused by the introduction of other Green Room concepts, or a lack of eco-consciousness within the industry—EcoRooms never took hold. Today, however, an increasing number of hotel owners and operators are discovering the value in promoting their environmentally friendly guest rooms as EcoRooms. What exactly is an EcoRoom? According to Dan Bornholdt, president of Green Suites International, an EcoRoom is a guestroom that includes at least a dozen products that are...

KATY, TEXAS—Designed to replace hazardous chemical pesticides to reduce toxic exposure and costs associated with insect control, DiaSource Crawling Insect Killer is an easy-to-use healthier method that manages crawling insects. It is the most effective and economical solution for hotels where mites (bed bugs, head lice, etc.), cockroaches, ants, earwigs, spiders, fleas and other crawling insects are of concern. DiaSource Crawling Insect Killer combines the power of laboratory testing, field verifications, an EPA Registration, a 100 percent natural product, and application consultation to protect any indoor area. Qualities include being indefinitely effective (until physically removed), an EPA registration...

TUALATIN, ORE.—Hartmann & Forbes, fabricator of sustainable handcrafted window coverings, is pleased to announce its PapyrusWeave Collection has won Interior Design Magazine’s Roscoe Award as the top window covering product launched in 2006. The PapyrusWeave Collection is influenced by nearly 20 different cultures and features more than 70 woven jute and pulp fiber patterns, including eight natural woven wall coverings. “We are deeply honored to receive this award from the interior design community,” says Michael Jones, founder and CEO of Hartmann & Forbes. “Their recognition with the Roscoe Award reinforces our efforts to develop innovative products that allow...