BETHESDA, MD.—In just three months since launching the MDO (myDigitalOffice) Sustainability Calculator and Certification, 15 hotel management companies comprising more than 1,500 hotels have qualified, and their collective efforts are saving 743 trees and 134 cubic feet of landfill waste annually. The MDO Sustainability Certification was launched in November 2022 as a way to shine the spotlight on hotel owners and operators dedicated to reducing their environmental footprint, and its rapid adoption demonstrates the industry’s accelerated action around ESG efforts. Companies such as Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Commonwealth Hotels, Remington Hotels, McNeill Hotel Company, and Apple REIT have received certification....

KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms, North America’s leading designer and manufacturer of high-design site furniture, structure, LED lighting and accessories, celebrates another highly-awarded year in 2022, receiving 33 design awards and recognitions from leading industry organizations and publications. Product design awards from 2022 span the company’s extensive offering, honoring excellence, innovation, and outstanding sustainability efforts in the design of outdoor lighting, site furnishings and adaptable structure. Rising through the rigorous selection processes, three new products especially captured the imaginations of industry-leading juries in 2022: The Profile lighting family, Take-Out connected seating, and Backdrop modular outdoor structure. Topping the lighting design category in 2022...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring solutions, introduces a new luxury vinyl tile (LVT) designed to improve acoustics in busy office environments. With people regularly listing poor acoustics as the No. 1 criticism of their work environment, Tarkett focused its efforts on developing a resilient floor covering that would reduce distractions and foster productivity. The result: Even Plane LVT, with sound absorption that performs 30 percent better than building codes require. “Each time we’re distracted by unwanted noise, it takes an average of 15 minutes to regain concentration. Multiply that by several distractions a day for each...

ALMAZORA, SPAIN—Neolith, a world leader in the sintered stone industry, showcased its assortment of sustainable innovations and avant-garde designs at KBIS 2023, the largest kitchen and bathroom tradeshow in the world, held January 31 to February 2 in Las Vegas. Neolith presented four new designs—Everest Sunrise, Cappadocia Sunset, Neolith Victoria and La Piasentina—featuring the latest technology and art in sustainable décor. The Everest Sunrise model represents a flawless and perfectly balanced quartzite, specifically designed to illuminate any space, while Cappadocia Sunset evokes the textures, movement and dynamism of a Turkish landscape, without compromising elegance, neutrality in the color and balance expected in Neolith surfaces. The Neolith Victoria and La Piasentina models, from the Neolith Iconic...

TUSCALOOSA, ALA.—Compliance with OSHA and industry safety standards should not be the goal for an organization; it should be the baseline, say workplace safety experts Ken Chapman and Tony Orlowski. In their new book, “Safety Beyond the Numbers: A Path to Principled Leadership”, Chapman and Orlowski address the “what now?” question when a company has a robust safety compliance program but is still experiencing serious injuries. “We have come a long way in organizational safety. Fewer people are injured at work today than ever before. But safety is a job that is never ‘done,’” the authors write in the book’s introduction. “What is...

CAMBRIDGE, ONT.—Langdon Hall Country House, Hotel & Spa and The Keep Refillery announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to launch the premiere hotel refillery in Ontario. Langdon Hall, a Relais & Chateaux property known for being one of Canada’s most pre-eminent luxury hotels, is tapping into the expertise of The Keep Refillery, a one-stop plastic-free refillery, to overhaul its in-room amenities and move towards an even more sustainable and low-waste system. By transitioning to a sustainable and circular refilling program for all in-room amenities, Langdon Hall and The Keep will save over 2,000 plastic bottles from finding their way into landfills and...

CHICAGO—AirAnswers has announced a new partnership with Superstratum. Both companies have joined forces to identify and alleviate indoor mycotoxins and molds that can contribute to symptoms associated with sick building syndrome. Sick building syndrome and other health issues could potentially be caused by molds, mycotoxins, allergens, and viruses in indoor spaces. AirAnswers is the only commercially available air sampling system that detects, identifies, and measures all biological particles including molds, mycotoxins, viruses, and allergens, down to 0.1 microns in size. AirAnswers’ technology provides users with the capability to assess and to monitor indoor spaces for the presence of biological...

SWORDS, IRELAND—FORTUNE magazine has named Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, to its World’s Most Admired Companies list for the eleventh consecutive year. The annual list, developed by FORTUNE and Korn Ferry, is widely considered to be the ultimate report card on corporate reputation. The companies on the list are the best-regarded in their industry and rated on nine criteria, ranging from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent. “It’s an honor to be recognized by FORTUNE, and I’m extremely proud of our global team for challenging what’s possible to create a more sustainable...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—Vivreau Water, a market leader in filtered water systems and a scientific expert in taste and filtration, unveiled the Top Pro and Extra I-Tap water dispensers. Designed for today’s hygiene-aware culture, the dispensers include advanced filtration capabilities and enhanced hygiene features. The Top Pro and Extra I-Tap dispensers feature Vivreau’s exclusive ThermalGate technology, which automatically heats the outlet tap at regular intervals to protect against retrograde contamination from external sources. Both systems come with optional HygienePlus technology designed for hygiene-sensitive environments, offering three layers of protection against microbial cysts and bacteria, including legionella. “Encouraging healthy hydration in the workplace can...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Axxess Industries to its Green Product & Service Directory in the following two categories: “Energy Management/Guestroom” and “Lighting & Controls.” Hotel owners and operators are looking for a variety of ways to reduce the cost of running their hotels and attract more guests. Axxess Industries manufactures a comprehensive assortment of practical, tech-savvy products for the smart automation and control of hotels. The company’s guestroom control systems combine to save energy and staff costs while impressing guests with comfort and convenience. The electronic Do Not Disturb systems guarantee guest privacy while making staff more efficient. All...