MINNEAPOLIS—Meyers, a national leader in brand marketing and high-end commercial printing, announced that it has created a solution that will help the hotel industry offer contactless check-in and room access. Meyers has developed a paper RFID key card—called the AssureCard—that looks and feels like a plastic key card but is made from renewable paper pulp and may be disposed of after a single use. In addition, Meyers has developed a low-cost key card dispenser that allows the customer to get their own card(s) while maintaining appropriate physical distancing with hotel employees. “Hotels typically reuse key cards for multiple guests, and...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Usually around Earth day, the conversation centers around sustainability targets, taking on more environmental responsibility, and raising awareness of the dangers of waste and pollution. This year, things have been different. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many plans, and people celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day at home. The entire planet is going through an uncertain period, and although other health and economy headlines are under the spotlight, climate actions remain just as important. According to the UN’s Emissions Gap Report 2019, global CO2 emissions need to drop by 7.6 percent this year if we want to keep global heating...

Name: Theresa van Greunen Title: Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications Company: Aqua-Aston Hospitality Years in Current Position: Two (with Aqua-Aston since 2015) Primary Responsibilities: “I play a unique role. The company has allowed me to carve out my own initiatives. I often partner with the operations team. I have been able to create new initiatives. Strategy is a big part of my job and keeping my ear to the ground and knowing what we can make positive change around.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: “Developing the corporate social responsibility program, Advocate with Aqua-Aston, and most notably, the #ForOurReef campaign.” Organization’s most significant...

ATLANTA—Throughout the current pandemic, Atlanta’s historic Stonehurst Place has continued to provide a safe place to stay for travelers in search of boutique luxury—all with a dose of eco-friendliness thrown in. The eight-suite property, owned by Barb Shadomy and first constructed in 1896, has features including a solar thermal system for water heating, a greywater recycling system, and rainwater purification system. “My partner and I purchased Stonehurst in 2007 and after 14 months of intense renovation, I returned the grand old lady back to her youthful self—with a few modern and green improvements,” Shadomy says. “We have not closed during the current...

NEW YORK—Equo Straws, the versatile eco-friendly alternative to plastic and paper straws, are now available on Kickstarter. They are biodegradable, uniquely functional to suit different tastes and behaviors, and made from all-natural ingredients. The Equo Team strove to produce a range of what is possible in the development of eco-friendly straws through the company’s innovative use of materials from nature. The multi-colored Equo Straws’ product line includes four choices with unique characteristics: Rice Straws—Made from rice and tapioca starch and available in plant-based, natural colors including white, green, pink, blue, yellow (After use, these can be cooked down and are fully...

​​​​ORLANDO—Clean the World Foundation, a leader in global health dedicated to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and global sustainability, has joined forces with Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming to fight the spread of COVID-19. The organizations donated 350,000 bars of soap to Clean the World Foundation, which will be used to provide life-saving soap to individuals and families across the globe that are most vulnerable to hygiene-related illnesses. Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming currently participate in Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling program. Through this program, room attendants collect the soap and bathroom amenities left behind by hotel guests and ship them...

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—Fuel, a leading provider of guest-facing hotel software solutions and digital marketing services for the global hospitality industry, has expanded the digital-key functionality of its industry-leading mobile application for independent and boutique hotels. Enabled through a successful integration with ASSA ABLOY, the world’s largest provider of hotel locking systems, the newly incorporated technology allows hotel properties with the Fuel Contactless Mobile App and ASSA ABLOY locking systems to let guests access their assigned guestrooms using their mobile phone as a digital key. With this feature enabled, guests can check in remotely, bypass the front desk, and go directly to their...

JERSEY CITY, N.J.—In about a year and a half, Pace Glass Inc. will open the world’s largest glass recycling facility in Andover, N.J. The 250,000 square foot plant will join the company’s Jersey City, N.J. facility and give the Northeast and beyond a means to recycle 800,000 tons of glass annually. George Valiotis, CEO of Pace Glass, says between 6 million and 7 million tons of glass were recycled in the United States last year. “Hotels have a unique opportunity to play an important part of this recycling infrastructure,” Valiotis says. “They have a lot of waste they could divert.” Less...

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.—Santa Barbara-based eco-entrepreneurs are launching Hitch, a water bottle with a removable leak-proof cup hidden inside. The design of Hitch was born from a desire to make the reusable cup so effortless to carry that conscious consumers can easily ditch single-use cups and go zero waste. The creators of Hitch discovered that most people who carry a reusable bottle won’t also carry a reusable cup. In fact, even at forward-thinking coffee shops that promote reusable cups as an alternative to single-use, adoption rates are low. As co-founder Sky Gilbar explains, “The essence of the problem is that people...

Name: Yalmaz Siddiqui Title: V.P., Corporate Sustainability Company: MGM Resorts International Years in Current Position: Four Primary Responsibilities: “The main ones are to think about what the company should focus on. What should the company prioritize? To initiate new ideas. To start new things. To integrate the preferable habits and practices so they become normal. Partnering with marketing and social media to communicate.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in the area of global corporate responsibility: “There are many but our decision to create CityCenter—which was the world’s largest privately funded LEED certified development when it opened in 2009.” Organization’s most significant challenge moving forward in the...