Finding solutions to single-use plastic is the focus of a lot of for-profit and nonprofit companies these days. I mentioned Clean the World’s efforts in a recent article. This past week I posted an article on LOLIWARE and its unique approach to plastic replacement. This coming week I will be chatting with a company that converts post-industrial and post-consumer plastic waste into something called STORM BOARD—a replacement for plywood or other wood fiber boards in applications where water resistance and durability are critical. Many of my advertisers—and readers—are also finding their own ways to reduce plastic consumption. The more...

SAN FRANCISCO—A plastic alternative made from seaweed is now a reality thanks to the work of LOLIWARE and its founder and CEO Chelsea Briganti. On Earth Day, April 22, the company announced that it has developed the first seaweed pellet—the SEA Tech Pellet—created from natural biomaterials to replace plastic at scale. Already, with the help of American manufacturer Sinclair and Rush, LOLIWARE has produce a seaweed straw that has captured the interest of the hotel industry’s leading chains. The company has also produced disposable cutlery and single use packaging products. From a cost standpoint, the straws are competitive with other leading...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—If we don’t act now, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. Humanity produced an estimated 9.2 billion tons of plastics between 1950 and 2017. Of this, approximately 7 billion tons are now waste, either deposited in landfills or accumulating in terrestrial and aquatic environments and ecosystems. To compound the problem, more than 98 percent of plastic is made from fossil fuels and plastic production is expected to double by 2050. Emissions from plastic alone will take up between 10 and 13 percent of the world’s remaining carbon budget to meet a 1.5-degree Celsius target under the Paris Agreement. In our...

UNITED KINGDOM—Global hotel group YOTEL and beauty brand Urban Jungle have announced a world exclusive partnership. YOTELs around the globe will become the first hotels in the world to stock Urban Jungle’s innovative amenities. Australian-born Urban Jungle is already disrupting the beauty industry with attainable and easy-to-use products and will now be available for all hotel guests staying in YOTELs from Miami to Manchester, Singapore to San Francisco and many more. Urban Jungle is set to be stocked in every YOTEL, YOTELAIR and YOTELPAD by the end of the year. Cleverly created to be cruelty-free and vegan, Urban Jungle is a...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced the publication of its 2021 Social Impact and Sustainability Report and significantly refreshed website. The report and website tell the story of the company’s continuing and steadfast commitment to its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles of embracing humanity and protecting the planet. The report and website (mgmresorts.com/ESG) also highlight the company's strategies, programs and performance focused on creating a more sustainable future and making a positive impact on the lives of employees, guests and communities. “Last year was a time of economic change and disruption, but with it came heightened reflection, ultimately resulting in...

VÄSTRA FRÖLUNDA, SWEDEN—Bowls, cutlery, cups—any packaging that is in contact with food—needs a barrier to prevent water and oil from leaking through. Paper and molded fiber packaging have traditionally relied on a thin plastic film or the addition of fluorochemicals to hold out water and grease. Neither of these solutions is ideal, as plastic layers are not degradable and can be difficult to recycle. Fluorochemicals have been found to migrate into food and accumulate in our bodies, prompting them to be banned in many parts of the world. What is the answer, then, for transitioning to environmentally sustainable fiber-based...

TORONTO—Flow Beverage announced that it has executed an agreement with Accor for Flow Alkaline Spring Water to become Accor’s official water partner in North and Central America. The vendor agreement between Flow and Accor is intended to replace all single-use plastic water bottles across Accor’s properties in the region with Flow water. A world leading hospitality group with more than 5,300 properties in 110 countries, Accor is the second largest luxury hotel operator in North America. Beginning last month, Flow products were launched at more than 70 luxury hotel properties under such globally renowned brands as Fairmont and Sofitel, across...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Delaware North, a global leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry, announced a partnership with Sierra Nevada and Impossible Burger for its 2022 Earth Month campaign, “Seeds for Sustainability.” The campaign, part of Delaware North’s award-winning GreenPath program, replaced traditional cardboard drink coasters and beverage napkins with eco-friendly, plantable seed coasters for guests to take home, plant and enjoy. The Earth Day promotion, featuring Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing and plant-based Impossible Burgers, was available at 27 locations across Delaware North’s Parks, Travel, Gaming and Patina Restaurant Group divisions during the month of April, while supplies lasted. In all, more than...

Green Lodging News will turn 16 this July. It was approximately three years after the launch of Green Lodging News that Clean the World was launched. Many of you have worked with Clean the World over the years by donating money or new or partially used soap bars and amenity bottles. If, because of the pandemic, you stopped donating, please start again. The need is just as great or greater, especially with the attack of Ukraine by Russia. (Volunteers in Arlington, Va., and Seattle are in the process of assembling 200,000 hygiene kits for victims of the war there....

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Bluewater, a leader in innovating water purification solutions, said there is an urgent need to double down on tackling micro-plastic pollution as a new study for the first time reveals the presence of the particles in human blood. “A study by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands showing the presence of polymer particles in our blood underlines the urgent need to accelerate efforts to halt the spread of micro-plastics and the resulting exposure to the chemicals in them,” said Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri. Published in the journal Environment International, the study analyzed blood samples from 22 healthy individuals and discovered 17—or...