DANVERS, MASS.— Osram Sylvania announced the company’s Global Care sustainability initiative. The program represents the company’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility. “Global Care will drive positive results to the triple bottom line addressing social, economic and environmental needs,” says Charlie Jerabek, Osram Sylvania president and CEO. “This initiative represents our dedication to meeting customers’ lighting needs with a sustainable approach to product design, development, manufacturing and distribution.” Global Care is the latest milestone in Osram Sylvania’s long history of environmental achievement. A five-time Energy Star Award winner, the company recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—Neenah Paper, which has long taken a proactive stance on the environment, will represent the premium paper industry on a panel on sustainability at The CRO Conference on May 10 in New York City. Neenah’s Trip Jobe and Interface Group’s Neel Bradham will face off with sustainability advocates on ways corporations can engage in a higher level of sustainable practices. “Neenah Paper is delighted to represent the premium paper industry and to be a gold sponsor of The CRO’s Sustainability Conference,” says Trip Jobe, the company’s director of marketing. “Neenah’s customer base gives us unique views on...

BOULDER, COLO., NEW YORK—The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd., the largest global luxury hotel brand, announced the launch of the Leading Green Initiative. This innovative program will enable and encourage guests to make a conscious decision toward greener travel by actively supporting Sustainable Travel International (STI), a leading nonprofit organization focused on responsible tourism. The Leading Green Initiative is a carbon neutral program whereby The Leading Hotels of the World will directly absorb the cost to offset guests’ energy consumption for stays at any of its 440 hotels worldwide. “We are extremely proud to be the...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—The decision by Choice Hotels International to go smoke free at all 433 domestic Comfort Suites hotels as of May 1 will bulk up the growing ranks of FreshStay, an online directory of smoke-free lodging facilities worldwide. “The number of completely smoke-free hotels in the United States grew more than 2,700 percent in 2006, and with Choice Hotels’ Comfort Suites brand coming into the fold, we’re already off to a great start for 2007,” says Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality, which founded FreshStay. “Studies show that at least four out of five hotel guests prefer...

TUALATIN, ORE.—Hartmann & Forbes, fabricator of sustainable handcrafted window coverings, announces the launch of the ErtheWeave Collection, the company’s first line of textile window coverings. The European-inspired collection includes more than 70 natural textiles with more than one-third being handwoven. “Handcrafting natural textiles is the logical next step for Hartmann & Forbes,” says Michael Jones, Hartmann & Forbes’ founder and CEO. “We searched exhaustively throughout Europe for the finest natural materials and wove them into a collection that will provide designers with high-end, environmental sensitivity they won’t find anywhere else.” The ErtheWeave Collection captures the texture and...

Last November I wrote an article about the Hotel Association of Canada’s (HAC) Green Key Eco-Rating program for hotels. One of the most intriguing things I learned while writing that article was that the government of Canada had endorsed the program and is requiring many of its employees to stay at Green Key hotels. I just spoke with Tony Pollard, president of HAC, for an update article on Green Key and he stated that one of the primary reasons for Green Key’s success is the government participation and requirements. Until last week, I had not read or heard...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. has published its 2006 Sustainability Report, which details the corporation’s efforts in the areas of economic progress, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. It provides data on related activities for 2006. “Sustainability at Ecolab is much more than just a green product line,” says Bruce Cords, vice president of Environment, Food Safety and Public Health. “Sustainability is something we work to integrate into all that we do as part of our business development and daily practice.” Highlights of the report include: Continued advancements in research and development. From solid formulations to innovative packaging...

TORONTO—As an environmental ambassador and industry pioneer in responsible tourism practices and sustainable hotel management, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced it has launched the third edition of its acclaimed Green Partnership Guide, a comprehensive how-to text for companies looking to “green” their operations. The ultimate source for companies looking to introduce or expand their green policies, the latest edition of Fairmont’s authoritative manual once again opens the vault on the brand’s environmental best practices. Forwarded by world-renowned environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki, the Green Partnership Guide focuses on key areas such as energy management, water conservation, and innovative community...

PLANO, TEXAS—EnviroGLAS announced a significant expansion and the reapportionment of sales regions to meet the rapidly increasing demand for recycled glass and porcelain counters, floors, wall panels and landscaping mulch. EnviroGLAS has added 14 architectural representatives in the last year, and EnviroGLAS products are now carried in at least 30 showrooms across the country, many of which are new green building supply stores. The expanded sales team can be viewed at www.enviroglasproducts.com/reps.asp. The number of EnviroGLAS dealers is expected to double in 2008. “Earth Day is this weekend,” says president and founder Tim Whaley. “It’s the perfect...

BLOOMINGTON, IND.—Beginning this month, commercial or institutional cleaning executives will have no excuse for not starting a green cleaning program. That’s when ISSA will publish a special industry-specific edition of Green Cleaning for Dummies, written by industry experts Steve Ashkin and David Holly, which demystifies and simplifies the green cleaning process. “Setting up a green cleaning program is easier than people think,” says Ashkin, who has spent more than 25 years in the cleaning industry and the past 17 years advocating for environmentally preferable cleaning. “Based on our extensive experience greening the cleaning industry, we were able to...