TOKYO—Royal Park Hotels and Resorts Company, Ltd. (RPHS) says that between June this year and January 2020 it will introduce biodegradable drinking straws made from polylactic acid (PLA) resin derived from renewable biomass such as fermented corn starch, thus replacing around 280,000 plastic straws per year. The company took the decision after due consideration of various options. The new biodegradable drinking straws, certified by the Japan BioPlastic Association, have a reduced impact on the environment. Within the same timeframe RPHS will start to actively support fair trade actions which aim to improve social and environmental standards for producers and workers...

INDIANAPOLIS—William Roam, creators of American-made personal care products for the hospitality market, is dedicated to keeping environmental commitments at the center of its brand identity by only developing dispenser or refillable systems for all new collection offerings. “At the heart of our business there has always been a focus on the environment and philanthropy. We balance that focus with market demand, so as the market changes in our direction we are thrilled at being able to offer a more complete alignment with our core values,” says Ali Murphy, CEO of William Roam. With the hospitality industry being responsible for roughly 440 billion pounds...

BOULDER, COLO.—​​​​​With a mission to spread sustainability worldwide and eliminate single-use plastics across the board, EcoVessel continues their efforts by partnering with two well-known resorts making EcoVessel industry-leading reusable water bottles accessible to all of their guests during their stay. The world-renowned and highly awarded Rancho La Puerta and the newly developed Auberge Resorts are providing EcoVessel bottles to guests for use during their stay, eliminating the need for those wasteful single-use plastic bottles found in most hotels around the world. These partnerships come at a time when the need to eliminate plastic is at an all-time high. We are truly at...

PHUKET, THAILAND—Since July 1, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort has stopped using single-use plastics in the workplace. All hosts have received Outrigger “bags for life” and a takeaway mug to help them kick the habit of takeaway plastic drink containers, straws and bags. The push is part of Outrigger’s OZONE—the company’s global conservation initiative to safeguard oceans and island environments. The property’s OZONE ambassador, Leah Matters, says the initiative, still in its first phase, is to hold management and hosts accountable and eliminate single-use plastics from the resort. “We have received a lot of positive feedback on social media platforms,” says...

NATIONAL REPORT— Antonio de la Rosa just completed a 2,951-mile paddleboard journey from San Francisco to Oahu, Hawaii. One thing he saw every day during his trip was plastic nets and other plastic debris. He hoped his trip would bring attention to the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean. Attention to the problem is needed. It is estimated that a garbage truck load of plastic is dumped into the ocean every minute. Getting that plastic out of the ocean is no small task. One way to do that is to create a demand for ocean plastic or plastic...

If you placed 700 million amenity bottles end to end, assuming 3 inches for each bottle, they would stretch for 33,143 miles. That is far more than once around the equator (24,901 miles) and about 1/7th the distance from the Earth to the moon. Why am I mentioning 700 million? This past week, Marriott International announced that it is expanding an initiative to replace tiny, single-use toiletry bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel in guestroom showers with larger, pump-topped bottles. To date, the company has already rolled out larger bottles at about 1,000 properties in North America, and now expects most...

POKHARA, NEPAL—Swiss International Hotel Sarowar, an upscale, 96-room hotel in Pokhara, Nepal, offers stunning views of the Himalayan Ranges and the famous Phewa Lake. What is most impressive about this property is its eco-efficiency—the attention to green design and sustainability from below ground to the rooftop. Swiss International Hotel Sarowar opened at the beginning of this year. The hotel is powered by the sun, heated and cooled using geothermal technology and sells its digested combination of human and food waste as organic manure at the local market. Swiss International Hotel Sarowar sits 2,655 feet above sea level. Its design incorporates...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International announced that it’s expanding an initiative to replace tiny, single-use toiletry bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel in guestroom showers with larger, pump-topped bottles. To date, the company has already rolled out larger bottles at about 1,000 properties in North America, and now expects most of its other hotels to make the switch by December 2020. When fully implemented across the globe, Marriott International’s expanded toiletry program is expected to prevent about 500 million tiny bottles annually from going to landfills; that’s about 1.7 million pounds of plastic, a 30 percent annual reduction from current amenity plastic usage. “This is our...

TORRANCE, CALIF.—Recycling at home or work has become part of our daily routine, but one ubiquitous device that still raises questions over disposal is light bulbs. Do they go out with the normal trash? Get tossed in recycling containers? Do you save them for the next neighborhood e-waste event? The answers aren’t easy, thanks in part to new technologies to Thomas Edison’s illuminating invention along with society’s growing environmental concerns. A 60-day initiative to help raise awareness on how citizens and companies can properly recycle lighting devices launched on August 20. The Green Lights Initiative is sponsored by LEDtronics, one...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Green Suppliers offering items ranging from stainless steel straws to electric vehicles to Tree Free paper products will be on hand at next month’s Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and Healthy Food Expo Florida. More than 400 total vendors will showcase, demonstrate and sample the newest food products, technology and equipment for the restaurant, foodservice, retail and hospitality markets in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center from Sunday, September 15 through Monday, September 16, 2019. At least 25 suppliers will offer green products and services. In addition to an expansive exhibit hall, The 2019 Florida Restaurant & Lodging...