NATIONAL REPORT—According to Emerson Electric Co., owner of the InSinkErator brand of food waste disposers, each year in the United States, nearly 34 million tons of food waste is trucked to landfills. Once there, it quickly decomposes and produces methane, an environmentally harmful greenhouse gas at least 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. While open air composting facilities and on-site waste decomposition machines are ways to manage food waste, kitchen food waste disposers and related systems remain a viable, convenient way to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill. These systems also quickly reduce costs related to...

TRENTON, N.J.—Boasting an improved capsule designed specifically for use in business and hospitality settings, SolaBev is the latest technology introduced to the single-serve beverage market. In addition to the ability to address the higher-volume needs of commercial enterprises, the company announced its partnership with TerraCycle to provide a recycling solution for its capsules.According to a 2014 National Coffee Assn. report, the use of single-serve brewing systems continues to rise, due to their convenience and efficiency. For offices and hotel lobbies especially, single-serve machines eliminate any instances of leftover, unused coffee. With the additional option to recycle the SolaCap capsules...

LONDON—Research shows that food waste is shaping up to be a strong concern of guests with consumers claiming that it bothers them almost as much as food prices. And, for hoteliers that generate waste, it can be an expensive and complex business when it comes to disposing of things like trash and leftover food. One in every six meals in the U.K. is wasted and on average a restaurant wastes 22 tons of food per year. Disposing of waste is also a costly job with hotels having to pay a waste tax which in the U.K. is currently set...

LAGRANGE, GA.—Building on the success of its ReEntry recycling operation—which has yielded the diversion of more than 309 million pounds of carpet from landfills over the past 20 years—Interface, a global leader in carpet tile manufacturing and a pioneer in driving the business case for sustainability, is creating a new network of regional recycling allies. First among them is Oakland, Calif.–based Rethink Green, and this initial alliance is expected to increase the amount of carpet that’s annually recycled for use by Interface by 40 to 50 percent. In announcing the new regional strategy for ReEntry and the Rethink Green relationship,...

PHOENIX—Waste Management will host hundreds of corporate leaders from global companies, representatives from municipalities across the country, experts, innovators and influencers, on February 4, 2016 at the sixth annual Executive Sustainability Forum in Scottsdale, Ariz. The day-long event will feature renowned speakers and panel discussions offering perspectives on the sustainability of recycling and the circular economy.“The topic of the sustainability of recycling is one that has garnered a great deal of attention over the past few years,” said Waste Management President and CEO, David Steiner. “It’s a topic deserving of conversation and collaboration to find solutions so that, working...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Intelligent Blends as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Intelligent Blends is a co packer, manufacturer and solutions provider for the rapidly growing single-serve beverage market. The company’s products—coffee, iced and hot tea, hot chocolate, and ciders—are packed and sealed in recyclable pods. The recyclable pods are comprised of an advanced proprietary blend of #5 Recyclable Polypropylene along with other eco-friendly materials, producing a capsule with a moisture/oxygen barrier that is up to 10 times less permeable than typical Polystyrene cups. Intelligent Blends has packed millions...

LAS VEGAS—Caesars Foundation, a private foundation funded by resorts owned or operated by the Caesars Entertainment company group, in collaboration with Clean the World, the largest global recycler of hotel amenities, announced the successful distribution of soap to 1,000 families across Guatemala in December 2015. The soap was hand-delivered to families by three Caesars employee contest winners, who were chosen to participate in the trip after being recognized for their leadership in community service.The contest winners returned from the week-long trip on December 5, during which time they distributed soap to families at community centers and home visits in...

BOULDER, COLO.—Eco-Products has earned an innovation award for its new compostable plates that solve a predicament for party-goers: how to hold food and drink while shaking hands and greeting other guests.Eco-Products’ Gala Cocktail Plates feature a patented finger grip that allows guests to hold their food and drink in one hand while simultaneously being able to eat and greet with the other. Made from sugarcane, the plates are 100 percent renewable and certified as compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).The plates earned Eco-Products the Innovation in Convenience Award from the Foodservice Packaging Institute and QSR magazine. Simple & Effective “The...

KEY WEST, FLA.—Waste Management and Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, teamed up to make the Seventh Annual Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit a successful, first-ever Zero Waste Event in Florida.At the Summit held in Key West which concluded December 3, Waste Management and hotel personnel worked together to recycle 90.3 percent (1,713 pounds) of all waste generated by the more than 400 attendees at the summit. The remaining 9.7 percent of waste was processed at a waste-to-energy facility and produced renewable energy in the form of electricity.Traditional recyclables (431 pounds)—including cardboard, paper, and plastic items and aluminum...

NEW YORK—CleanBrands LLC, a maker of mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements, announced that it has created the industry’s first Bed Bug Math ROI Calculator, which helps uncover the total hidden costs of infestations. The interactive calculator, showing a return on investment of up to 15x the original cost of professional grade encasements like CleanRest PRO Mattress Encasements, was recently released at HX: The Hotel Experience, held November 8 to 10 in New York.Designed by an accountant for managers looking to increase profit margins, the new calculator app is currently in beta testing and will be available for commercial...