SAN FRANCISCO—Starbucks Coffee Co. announced the “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework and a commitment to design, build and operate 10,000 “Greener Stores” globally by 2025. “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework will be built upon comprehensive performance criteria that help ensure the company’s approach to designing, building, and operating its company-owned stores sets a new standard for green retail. Over the next year, Starbucks will develop an accredited program to audit all existing company-operated stores in the United States and Canada against the framework criteria, culminating in 10,000 “Greener Stores” globally by 2025, encompassing existing stores, new builds and renovations. “Starbucks Greener...

NEW YORK—American Express Company announced a $250,000 grant to Ocean Conservancy in support of its International Coastal Cleanup and Trash Free Seas programs. The International Coastal Cleanup, which took place on September 15, is the world’s largest single-day volunteer effort to remove trash from local waterways, beaches, lakes and rivers. As part of the grant, American Express employees will also participate in five coastal cleanup events in the United States, Italy, Malaysia and Australia this fall. Earlier this year, American Express, in partnership with Parley, an organization focused on combating marine plastic pollution, announced a collaboration to raise awareness of...

MEXICO, PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO—In an ongoing dedication to sustainability, Velas Resorts in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta are no longer offering single-use plastic straws. These single-use straws, known as “environmental villains,” can take up to 200 years to decompose. For those guests who rely on straws to drink, the Velas Resorts offer biodegradable paper straws on request as an alternative. The collection estimates they will eliminate 1.6 million total straws in one year. The elimination of plastic straws complements the Mexican resort collections’ ongoing eco-friendly practices used throughout the properties to lessen the impact on...

As an observer of the lodging industry, one of the most fascinating ongoing debates to watch is the hand dryer versus paper towel debate. You almost need a Ph.D. to understand it all. The center of the battle is the public restroom and the conversation involves many issues: environmental impact, hygiene, labor, plumbing and even plumbing code specifications. The more you learn, the more confused you can get—kind of like reading about the Mueller investigation. What prompted me to write about this topic is an online article in the Journal of Hospital Infection posted in July. The title of the article:...

DENVER—With plastic straws capturing the headlines, FloWater announced an important milestone on another front, an even larger threat to the environment—single-use plastic water bottles. With its new-tech Water Refill Stations now deployed at major corporations, hotels, schools and fitness centers in 42 states across the country, FloWater has eliminated the need for 50 million (and counting) single-use plastic water bottles from the drinking water supply chain since the company’s launch five years ago. Over the next five years, by 2022, FloWater and its customers are on target to eliminate the need for one billion single-use plastic water bottles. FloWater is working...

BANGKOK—The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is enhancing its ongoing responsible tourism strategy by announcing a new “Travel Thailand in Style, Reduce Plastic Waste” collaboration initiative with various stakeholders in a bid to cut tourism-related waste by up to 50 percent by 2020. The framework will see TAT work hand in hand with strategic partners in launching publicity campaigns for responsible tourism. Public and private sector partners include the Expedia Group, Tourism Council of Thailand, Thai Hotels Assn., the Chao Phraya River tourism-related businesses including ICONSIAM, Nonthaburi Municipality, Siam Piwat Retail and Development Company, and local communities in Bangkok. The collaboration...

ORLANDO, FLA.—More than 8,000 food industry professionals gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando last week for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show. Among the hundreds of exhibitors were companies introducing products to reduce energy and water consumption and material waste. The following is a quick rundown of those companies and the products they featured: PowerTrak Efficiency Systems, LLC—PowerTrak Efficiency Systems introduced its VX Series Energy Management Thermostat that includes an occupancy sensor that allows for energy saving when rooms are unoccupied. Fully configurable settings allow for temperature setback, temperature recovery, setback optimization, setback limits, and set point...

BANGKOK—The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced a partnership with The Travel Corporation (TTC) to address food waste in tourism. As an official sponsor of the BUFFET (Building an Understanding for Food Excess in Tourism) Initiative, TTC has made a commitment to help raise awareness of food waste in the travel and tourism industry and, along with PATA, challenges other industry stakeholders, particularly the hospitality sector, to reduce food waste to landfill. “The Travel Corporation along with its not-for-profit organization The TreadRight Foundation have always been leaders in sustainable tourism principles and practices,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “It is a pleasure to be working...

NEW YORK—Arlo Hotels, an independent hotel brand, announced the launch of Arlo Cares, a sustainability program designed to spark eco-conscious changes in travel and serve as a home base for green-minded travelers. Arlo Cares encourages guests, locals and partners to embrace a more Earth-ethical way of living, and is launching with an educational speaker series, community outreach opportunities, documentary screenings, charitable celebrations and more. Known for pushing the boundaries in the independent hotel sphere, Arlo was one of the first hotel brands in New York City to commit to phasing out single-use plastics throughout all hotel activity. Arlo NoMad and Arlo...

NATIONAL REPORT—By raising over $1.8 million through Kickstarter, FinalStraw will officially launch in November 2018. With over 150,000 pre-sale FinalStraws sold, it’s apparent that people are excited about convenient, earth-friendly alternatives to straws. Unlike the alternatives that are difficult to carry around, FinalStraw comes in a key-chain-sized carrying case made of recycled plastic. At $20 a straw, FinalStraw’s mission is to replace plastic straws making way for a “Straw free Earth by 2023”. FinalStraw’s founders are two young entrepreneurs on a mission to rid the world of single-use plastics. The CEO, Emma Cohen (32), holds a master’s degree from Harvard in Environmental...