LOS ANGELES—Pan Pacific Seattle has earned Green Globe certification for the fifth consecutive year. “We are beyond honored to receive this prestigious certification for the fifth year in a row,” said Webster Polk, Community Relations Manager of the Pan Pacific Seattle. “At Pan Pacific, global responsibility and sustainability are essential parts of our property’s DNA and we are committed to continually uphold and improve our practices. As a luxury boutique hotel, our guests can always expect genuine care, unique innovation and customized services along with a dedicated desire to minimize our overall impact on the environment.” Pan Pacific Seattle’s sustainable practices...

Several years ago I wrote about the efforts of an 11-year-old boy to eliminate the use of plastic straws in restaurants. One of his goals was to make the giving of straws an “upon request” deal rather than an automatic reflex. We all know the majority of straws end up in the landfill—somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 million a day. According to Sarah Kollar, Project and Outreach Specialist for Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., “Straws are one of the top ten items collected during cleanups thanks to the volunteers who collect data during the annual International Coastal Cleanup.”...

CINCINNATI—With America Recycles Day having taken place on November 15, Cintas Corp. has signed the Green Umbrella’s recycling pledge in an effort to help Cincinnati achieve a top 10 ranking on the list of the most sustainable cities in the United States. The Green Umbrella, an alliance of organizations across 10 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, hopes to reduce landfill waste by 33 percent by 2020 through rotating recycling initiatives. “We hope to add 50 new corporate pledges each year in order to make the biggest impact.” “Paper is one of the simplest things to recycle, yet the landfill in...

ODESSA, FLA. & SINGAPORE—Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, and Greenview, a leader in advancing hotel sustainability, have released the Green Lodging Trends Report 2016. The report details the results of the first annual Green Lodging Survey conducted earlier this year and is available at no cost by clicking here. The report is based on data from more than 2,000 hotels in 44 countries and covers topics ranging from air quality to energy management to staff involvement. The report includes results of more than 100 questions asked in 11 categories. Supporters of this year’s survey include The Arbor...

ARLINGTON, VA.—Schupp Companies announced that it has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for its Hyatt Place Courthouse development in Arlington, Va. Schupp pursued LEED as part of its commitment to sustainability with attention to reduced energy and water consumption, and a focus on optimal air quality to enhance the guest experience. Located at 2401 Wilson Blvd., the new Hyatt Place Arlington Courthouse is situated in close proximity to the metro, allowing for community connectivity. At 93,000 square feet, the hotel features approximately 1,200 square feet of street-level retail space, including a bar and café on the first...

SAN FRANCISCO—Last week, General Manager Clif Clark of the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront drove a truckload of pumpkins to the San Francisco Zoo for animals to enjoy as a nutritious Thanksgiving treat. Lions, giraffes, grizzly bears, rhinos, hippos and mandrills are just a few of the species that feasted on the pumpkins. Most hotels install their holiday decorations the day before or after Thanksgiving. This practice leads many pumpkins, the former stars of festive fall displays, straight to landfill. In 2013, Clark began the tradition of donating the pumpkins to the San Francisco Zoo in an effort to reduce...

DALTON, GA.—J+J Flooring Group, a leading manufacturer of commercial specified flooring, announced it has been recertified as a Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWL) manufacturer by GreenCircle Certified, LLC, a prominent third-party certifier of environmental claims. J+J Flooring Group was originally certified by GreenCircle as a ZWL manufacturer in 2015. This marked the first time a commercial floor covering manufacturer had achieved ZWL status and went the extra step to have its waste diversion efforts audited and verified by a recognized, third-party certifier of environmental claims. GreenCircle’s certification covers J+J’s waste diversion at its Dalton, Ga., corporate campus, which includes both its...

STAMFORD, CONN.—While the majority of consumers believe many of the issues related to recycling have improved since the 1970s, such as “ease of recycling” and the “amount of waste” that is recycled, most consumers feel the amount of waste in landfills and oceans is worse, according to the first “Consumer Tracker Recycling Survey,” released by national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), a national market research firm. The national recycling survey, conducted online among a representative sampling of 1,000 American adult consumers, focused on measuring consumers’ recycling attitudes and behaviors and, ultimately, what prevents consumers from recycling....

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand, announced last month that the newest addition to its portfolio, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, will make its debut in February 2017. Green Lodging News ran the press release on the 10-story sustainable ground-up development that will feature 194 guestrooms. As a follow-up to the press release, Green Lodging News sent a list of questions to Waad El Hadidy, Designer at Starwood Hotels Worldwide, to learn more about the project. The following are the questions and answers: 1. What about the building's structure itself will ensure a high degree of energy efficiency?...

LANCASTER, PA.—Somat Co. recently announced the addition of a cold weather option, available on the Somat DH-100 Dehydrator system. Used to reduce the volume and weight of food waste and compostable disposables by a ratio of 8 to 1, the DH-100 Dehydrator can now be located and operated in environments where temperatures can fall as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit. “Our dehydrators are sold globally to a variety of segments including universities, hospitals, hotels, casinos and correctional facilities,” said Doug Cole, Business Development Manager for Somat Co. “On occasion, operators elect to place our equipment near the loading dock or...