MIAMI—The JW Marriott Marquis Miami continues its commitment to sustainability by investing in Power Knot’s Liquid Food Composter (LFC). The Liquid Food Composter digests food waste in a clean, sanitary and odorless manner. As a result, it reduces the hotel’s carbon footprint by eliminating the amount of waste sent to landfills and decreases the amount of methane gases released into the environment. It digests all food within 24 hours and then converts it into nutrient-rich grey water that can be released down the drain or used for landscape maintenance. “Green initiatives benefit both the environment and our business,” said...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI—The new Marriott Port-au-Prince Hotel has checked in its first guests. Among the 200 new Haitian hotel workers who welcomed them were young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and Haitian-Americans who want to share their hospitality skills to help boost Haiti’s tourism economy. The stories of these new associates include Luccardo, who was recruited to work at the hotel’s front desk from the Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs orphanage, and Hermine, who was part of the hotel’s intern program and will be an entry-level supervisor. In addition to members of a Haitian-American executive team, the Haiti Marriott is led...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Association of Green Property Owners and Managers (AGPOM), along with the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), are planning several educational webinars. The first one, “How to measure and report your carbon footprint using the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) methodology,” will take place on Tuesday, March 17.More than 21,000 hotels around the world have adopted the HCMI methodology that allows them to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a consistent and transparent way.During the webinar one can learn to:•    Provide the carbon footprint information your customers are requesting;•    Understand your environmental impacts...

MORGANVILLE, N.J.—Baronessa Cali Tarocco has been refined to include softer, more easily recyclable liquid packaging, one-handed easy dispensing caps and organic bio-additives to reduce environmental impact.The 30 ml amenity bottles, 45 ml amenity soft tubes and 253 ml retail bottles are all composed of PE (Polyethylene), an easily recyclable #2 plastic with the added benefit of either EcoPure or EPI bio-additives. The frosted translucent liquid packaging allows for housekeeping to easily determine if a liquid needs to be replaced.• EcoPure: EcoPure is an organic additive that accelerates the biodegradation process of plastic products and plastic packaging in a biologically...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Sterling Sleep Systems as a Founding Sponsor. Since starting its business 27 years ago, Sterling Sleep Systems has produced more than a million specialty mattresses sold in over 30 countries. The company builds only modular bed systems. All components are removable, interchangeable and replaceable. When beds are damaged or soiled one need only buy a replacement part instead of the complete bed system. Beds come completely apart for proper cleaning inside and out. One can address bed bug issues without discarding the mattress. Sterling mattresses can help...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—T&S Brass and Bronze Works announced that EnviroPure, its organic food waste disposal system, was a finalist in Catering Insight magazine’s Catering Equipment of the Year competition. EnviroPure was one of five “Highly Commended” contenders in the Waste & FOG (Fats, Oils and Grease) Management category.“The EnviroPure technology allows operators to streamline their organic waste disposal process and helps to reduce day to day operational costs,” says Bert Dittmar, Director of European sales for T&S. “The system also reduces on-site waste storage capacities, making it a win-win situation for both investors and operators.”EnviroPure systems offers self-contained, small...

CHICAGO—When Virgin Group opened its first hotel last month—the 250-room Virgin Hotels Chicago—what was not talked about much in the media was the green story behind the renovated historic Old Dearborn Bank Building at 203 N. Wabash Ave. Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder, and member of the B Team leaders who recently called for a global commitment to net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, established a hotel brand with the goal of LEED Silver for each hotel. Virgin Hotels Chicago’s green story begins with its site selection. Rather than building new, Virgin Hotels chose a historic bank building and kept...

GRANT, MICH.—All the Porous Pave manufactured and installed through December 2014 included a total of about six million pounds of rubber recycled from 200,000 tires. A proven option for green stormwater infrastructure, Porous Pave is a highly porous, durable and flexible surfacing material consisting of recycled rubber, aggregate and a binder. The controlled shredding and processing of discarded tires produces the one-quarter-inch nominal size rubber chips incorporated into Porous Pave.“Reaching a total of 200,000 tires saved from landfills, recycled and processed into a component of Porous Pave is an environmental achievement,” said David Ouwinga, President and CEO, Porous Pave,...

CONCORD, N.H.—IRN-The Reuse+Recycling Network released the results of its surplus asset reuse program for 2014. IRN provided 6 million pounds of furnishings and equipment to 29 different charities active in 23 countries overseas and 20 U.S. states, where the furnishings are used to support disaster relief and economic development.IRN has a simple mission: to keep usable furnishings out of landfills and get them to communities where they are needed. When an organization comes to IRN with an inventory of surplus furnishings, IRN makes a match with its network of dozens of charitable partners. IRN then manages the project to...

Name: Judy PinesTitle: Director Strategic Sourcing Sustainability & Special ProjectsCompany: Hilton WorldwideYears in position: Almost one yearPrimary responsibilities: “I am the lead sustainability resource within Hilton Supply Management with responsibility for the coordination of all global sustainability and corporate responsibility strategy and planning.”   Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment in the area of strategic sourcing: “Implementation of our mattress recycling program.”  Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge in the area of strategic sourcing: “Driving awareness and helping owners to see the value of being sustainable. Also, learning how to look at the total cost of ownership.”  MCLEAN, VA.—Last year Hilton Worldwide...