One glance around a hotel lobby and the trained eye can see many opportunities for flexible and rigid polymeric materials necessary for efficient, effective and safe construction. It would seem that Cliff Goldman, author of the guest column in January entitled, “A Hotel Industry Future Without Vinyl Products,” would have these potential opportunities exclude vinyl as an option, for reasons he may not fully understand. Most professional designers and engineers know the benefits of flexible vinyl, including its inherent flame retardant advantages, UV resistance, stain and scratch resistance and low VOC properties, not to mention recyclability. These characteristics all fare...

NATIONAL REPORT—Throwing out food scraps and leftovers hardly seems controversial until you consider the stats: Some 870 million people, one-in-eight on Earth, go to bed hungry every night, notes the World Food Programme. Shortly after taking his post, Pope Francis took this issue to heart and to the public to mark the U.N.’s 2013 World Environment Day, noting “throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and hungry.” The Pope’s remarks are made all the more poignant by a U.S. Department of Agriculture report estimating that 31 percent, or 133 billion pounds, of food available for...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide announced an initial three-year commitment with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to reduce its impact on the environment. As Hilton’s signature environmental partner, WWF will work with the company to evolve its global business practices. The collaboration also will further WWF’s mission to protect and conserve the Earth’s life-supporting resources by making the hospitality industry more sustainable.Hilton Worldwide properties around the world already contribute to the company’s waste reduction and water conservation targets through thousands of on-property projects. The collaboration with WWF builds on existing efforts in these areas and leverages the company’s initial work on sustainable...

PHOENIX—After years spent working in the automotive and aerospace industries, Ray DelMuro quit his job and set out to combine his passions for engineering and art. Now, DelMuro and his business Refresh Glass, which creates products from recycled wine bottles, is getting national attention from Deluxe Corp. and its Small Business Revolution documentary project. The Small Business Revolution, which also features “Shark Tank” star Robert Herjavec, is a yearlong campaign that celebrates the vibrancy, variety and community impact of small businesses all across the country. Its latest story is a photo essay profiling Refresh Glass, one of 100 profiles...

DUBAI, U.A.E.—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the signing of a management agreement with Diamond Developers to launch the second Hotel Indigo in the U.A.E. Hotel Indigo is IHG’s boutique brand and each Hotel Indigo property is designed to reflect the local neighborhood it is located in. From the design of the building to the hotel’s artwork and locally-inspired menus, each Hotel Indigo property is unique to its surroundings, so no two properties are the same. In addition, guests can look forward to immersing in stories of the neighborhood through creatively crafted spaces reflecting the area’s heritage—a key cornerstone of...

ROSWELL, GA.—Kimberly-Clark Professional announced the launch of GreenHarvest products, an offering that incorporates rapidly renewable plant-based fiber, such as wheat straw and bamboo, into Kleenex and Scott brand towel and tissue products.Kimberly-Clark Professional is the first major towel and tissue manufacturer in North America to introduce products made with 20 percent plant fiber in place of tree fiber or recycled fiber. These products required the development of an entirely new supply chain to directly obtain wheat straw from U.S. farmers and the creation of a new manufacturing process for converting plant fiber into pulp.“In a resource-constrained, digital world, with...

LOS ANGELES—Disneyland Resort was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the 2014 Food Recovery Challenge award for its zero waste efforts, and the highest percent increase in food recovery of any theme park in the nation.“Disneyland is a model for food recovery efforts,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Disney has the potential to educate millions of people who visit the resort on zero waste, while doing its part to fight climate change and create a better environment for Southern California residents.”The EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge partners with organizations and businesses to prevent...

SYOSSET, N.Y.—Emerald Brand announced a strategic partnership with Totally Green, producer of the ORCA Anaerobic Aerobic digestion machine. This alliance will allow Emerald Brand, a provider of more than 230 sustainable disposable products, to deliver Totally Green's ORCA organic digesting solution to its foodservice and facility clients and help sites in New York City become compliant with the new food waste and Styrofoam laws that are set to take effect this July 2015. The ORCA machine digests organic food waste, turning it into nutrient rich water and virtually eliminates organic food waste from corporate foodservice environments, restaurants, food manufacturers and...

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.—Pilot Pen has developed the Bottle to Pen (B2P) Line of writing instruments, which are the world’s first pens made from recycled plastic water bottles. The plastic from one bottle can be used to create approximately two B2P pens.“Although most Americans drink bottled water, they really do feel guilty about it,” said Ariann Langsam, Director of Marketing for Pilot Pen. “It’s our shared responsibility to be good stewards of our planet and do our part to protect the environment. A simple way to do this is working to recycle more often and using products that leave a greener...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—Commercial foodservice and plumbing product manufacturer T&S Brass and Bronze Works announced that the National Restaurant Assn. has bestowed its coveted Kitchen Innovations Award on the company’s new EnviroPure ozone recirculation option. Designed to eliminate the need to add fresh water during the organic food waste disposal system’s digestive process, the ozone recirculation option relies instead on water that is naturally extracted from food waste as it processes through the system.EnviroPure’s system breaks down food waste in just 24 hours through a combination of mechanical processing and aerobic decomposition. An all-natural, micronutrient additive accelerates the digestive process,...