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Sustainability Has Become a Strong Factor in Guest Hotel Selection
NATIONAL REPORT—Many organizations delegate the HR department to manage their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and sustainability is an incremental component of such efforts. However, an organization’s sustainability efforts go beyond building a strong employment brand for current and prospective employees. It also affects a company’s bottom line.
Hotels, for example, ensure guests continue to choose their property amongst the rest by providing great customer experiences, high-quality services, and a comfortable stay. Recently, another factor affecting travelers’ hotel choice and perception of a hotel brand is on the rise in importance: sustainability. Sustainability is becoming a core focus as it...
BOKSER Textiles Partners with Intrinsic Advanced Materials
MINNEAPOLIS—BOKSER Textiles, a leading provider of hospitality textiles, announces the adoption of CiCLO technology, a patented textile ingredient designed to help reduce the impacts of microplastic pollution from synthetic fabrics. The new Shoreline Collection of Top Sheets, made from recycled polyester and infused with CiCLO biodegradable technology, helps deliver a new level of sustainability to the hospitality linens category by reducing the persistence of microplastic pollution in the environment. The Shoreline Collection top sheets will be available at select GLō by Best Western branded hotels beginning this year.
The BOKSER and CiCLO partnership introduces a new offering for hotel groups...
Winnow Appoints Chef Vojtech Végh as Zero Waste Culinary Advisor
LONDON—Winnow, a market-leader in AI-powered food waste management, announced an exclusive partnership with zero-waste chef and pioneer Vojtech Végh. As Winnow’s new Zero Waste Culinary Advisor, Vojtech brings his expertise in helping chefs to reimagine food waste. The focus of the partnership will be on reducing trimmings waste—an often-overlooked opportunity in commercial kitchens.
“I’m thrilled to join Winnow as their new Zero Waste Culinary Advisor,” said Vojtech. “I’ve spent my career reimagining what’s possible with wasted ingredients. Winnow’s data shines a critical light on what ends up in the bin, and I see enormous potential in what we can achieve...
A Deeper Dive Behind the Story of Leather, Technical Performance Fabrics
NATIONAL REPORT—If you knew the history of the leather that you buy, would you still buy it? While there are degrees of severity, depending on the supplier, the leather that you specify for furniture, headboards or other items often has a dirty past—from the breeding of the animal (most likely a cow) to the processing of the leather from that animal. Factors to consider when buying leather range from its geographical source—China, the largest leather producing country, or maybe Brazil, where cattle ranching for beef and leather production is the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon—to its biodegradability.
There...
UNM Researchers Find Alarmingly High Levels of Microplastics in Human Brains
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—University of New Mexico Health Sciences researchers have detected microplastics in human brains at much higher concentrations than in other organs—and the plastic accumulation appears to be growing over time, having increased 50 percent over just the past eight years.
Microplastics—tiny bits of degraded polymers that are ubiquitous in our air, water and soil—have lodged themselves throughout the human body, including the liver, kidney, placenta and testes, over the past half century.
In a new study published in Nature Medicine, a team led by toxicologist Matthew Campen, PhD, Distinguished and Regents’ Professor in the UNM College of Pharmacy, reported that plastic...
One of Our Industry’s Greatest Success Stories: Clean the World
Last month I had the opportunity to visit the Orlando, Fla. headquarters of Clean the World. It was great to meet with founder and CEO Shawn Seipler and his team again.
My first article about Clean the World appeared on Green Lodging News on June 12, 2009. In that article, entitled, “Unused Soap & Shampoo Problem Hits Salesman ‘Like a Hurricane,’ I explain the origin of the nonprofit that repurposes partially used soap bars and amenities, and that does so much more to help those in need. If you are one of the few unfamiliar with the work of Clean...
Plastic Bottled Water Containers are No. 1 in Curbside Bins
ALEXANDRIA, VA.—On America Recycles Day (ARD), the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) applauded the efforts of bottled water drinkers to “recycle right,” as new research shows that PET bottled water containers are the most common drink container found in curbside recycling bins. The association encourages all consumers to remember the many benefits of always recycling any recyclable packaging.
Recycling reduces the amount of material headed for landfills, and it also drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions. New data from the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) shows bottled water containers make up 53 percent of all PET plastic bottles in...
Five Low-Impact Tools for Simplifying Lodge Lawn Renovation
NATIONAL REPORT—Renovating the landscaping and operations of a lodge property requires a thoughtful approach that balances functionality, aesthetic appeal, and longevity. Lodge owners and lodging professionals hold the keys to designing effective outdoor spaces that align with eco-friendly practices, enhance guest experiences, and reduce operational costs. Explore this guide and consider these five low-impact tools for simplifying lodge lawn renovation.
1. Compost Tumblers: Efficient Waste Management
Compost tumblers are essential for turning organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers. Enclosed systems accelerate the decomposition process, allowing you to recycle garden waste such as leaves, grass clippings,...
Numbers Tell the Story of Success at Orlando-Based Clean the World
ORLANDO, FLA.—Since its inception in 2009, Clean the World’s impact has been staggering with 18 million pounds of soap and 10 million pounds of plastic collected from its more than 8,000 hospitality partners worldwide. A total of 28.6 million pounds of waste has been diverted from landfills and 88.5 million bars of reprocessed soap have been distributed to those in need. With the assistance of its hospitality partners, soap bars and amenity bottles are collected for processing in one of Clean the World’s five global locations.
This year alone, 200,000 new hotel rooms will be added to the mix of...
Green Key Global & BetterTable Unite to Help North American Hotels Reduce Waste & Boost Profits
NATIONAL REPORT—Green Key Global, one of the leading sustainable certification programs for hotels in North America, has announced a strengthened collaboration with BetterTable, a pioneer in hotel food and beverage sustainability. This collaboration is designed to help hotels significantly reduce food waste and carbon emissions while boosting profitability.
In the hospitality industry, food waste represents 7 percent of total food revenues, with a staggering 66 percent deemed avoidable. Food related operations also contribute approximately, 20 percent of a hotel’s carbon footprint.
The collaboration marks a major milestone as BetterTable.ca transitions to BetterTable (now available at BetterTable.com) broadening its reach across North America....