LOS ANGELES—Energy and environmental enthusiasts are increasingly calling businesses to take green action and implement sustainable initiatives. Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City is continuing to make great strides and is one of the few Green Seal Silver certified environmentally conscious lodging facilities in California. The hotel executives understand sustainability as the ability to meet present needs without comprising that of future generations.The property is committed to energy conservation, waste minimization and executing an environmentally friendly operation. By doing this, the hotel is not only helping to reduce the greenhouse emissions that impact global climate change and save energy; but also...

SAN FRANCISCO—Tens of thousands of Californians, including a pledge of 1,000 California Fairmont Hotels & Resorts colleagues, friends and family members, will volunteer to remove debris from the coast, creeks, rivers, lakes and shorelines all around California protecting wildlife from harm while taking care of the environment. The event, the 30th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, will take place on Saturday, September 30 from 9 a.m. to noon in most locations.In 2013, close to 65,000 volunteers state-wide removed 674,234 pounds of trash and an additional 75,089 pounds of recyclable materials, for a total of 749,323 pounds or 375 tons...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—Commercial foodservice and plumbing product manufacturer T&S Brass and Bronze Works announced that EnviroPure, its organic food waste disposal system, has received the 2014 Innovations Award from the Asia Pacific division of Food Consultants Society International (FCSI). The Asia Pacific Division of FCSI is the newest of the society’s worldwide membership organizations, representing a diverse range of cultures from India and China to Japan and the Pacific.“We are delighted—but not surprised—at this distinguished recognition,” said Bill Stella, T&S Director of International Sales, who accepted the award for the company. “The EnviroPure system is revolutionizing food waste handling....

LAS VEGAS—Mirtha Eusebio, a card dealer at Bally’s in Las Vegas, is getting excited about the trip she will be taking to the Dominican Republic from September 23 to 26 with two other Caesars Entertainment employees. The three will be joining Clean the World Foundation staff and representatives of Children International on a trip to distribute soap to those in need in three locations. The soap to be distributed was donated by lodging establishments and sanitized and reprocessed by Clean the World. Eusebio and her two colleagues were selected as a result of a contest held by the Caesars...

ATLANTA—Global Soap Project, the nonprofit organization focused on educating, empowering, and improving the hygiene and health of vulnerable populations around the world, has announced the opening of a new 7,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Las Vegas.The facility, which is double the size of its original Atlanta plant, has relocated to Las Vegas to more efficiently process the donations of used soap from more than 150,000-plus hotel rooms, including a large concentration in the Las Vegas area.Global Soap Project accepts used soap in bulk from hotels, and then processes them into large bars, which are distributed to 32 of the...

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—Surrounded by the six million protected acres of the Adirondack Park—the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous U.S. states—Whiteface Lodge is mindful of the very special place it occupies in the world. From the timber used in its construction in 2005, all of which was found on-property, to its reuse of dying trees on its land as mulch and in landscaping, the rustic resort continues to strengthen its conservation commitment as awareness increases and technology improves. Among its recent meaningful green measures:•    A total of 7,993 bars of soap (and counting) recycled and distributed to families...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes ILLI America as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. ILLI America is the provider of the modern ILLI Cartridge Dispensing unit. Created as a solution to help reduce the 8 billion plastic amenity bottles thrown away annually as well the labor and cost associated with refillable dispensers, the ILLI provides a maintenance free platform for the tenure of the ILLI while reducing plastic amenity waste by 90 percent. Hermetically sealed cartridges bearing the Nordic Eco label certification prevent continual maintenance and liability risks while reducing cost...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK—The large structures arriving in Yellowstone National Park’s Canyon Village are tangible indications that the Canyon Lodge & Cabins redevelopment project is truly taking shape. Constructed in Boise, Idaho by Guerdon Enterprises, the modules will eventually comprise five multi-story lodges featuring stone and wood that blend into the surrounding area. The first three lodges will open in 2015 and the remaining two the following year.The modules are being created in a controlled environment that allows for year-round work while minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. As part of its concessions contract with the National Park Service (NPS), lodge...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. released its 2014 Sustainability Report—available this year as 10 separate and concise issue reports—sharing the company’s progress against a 2007 baseline, including a nearly 13 percent decrease in water intensity, 11 percent decrease in energy intensity, and a 12 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions intensity. One of Marriott’s key environmental goals is to achieve a 20 percent reduction in energy and water intensity by 2020. “Our sustainability strategy is critical to the growth and success of our communities, our company, and our efforts to help protect our planet’s natural resources,” said Arne Sorenson, President...

NEW YORK—Green Lodging News has finalized its speaker lineup for the five green seminars it is coordinating at the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show. The seminars will take place over three days beginning Saturday, November 8 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The following are the session titles: Crafting a Career in Sustainability in Hospitality & Tourism—Sustainability Trends in Hospitality Education; Hotel Energy Management All Stars; Gone Platinum! A First-Time Ever Gathering of Leaders of Three LEED Platinum Hotels; The Power of Green Certification—Updates from Lodging’s Leading Certifiers; and Waste Management Champions Making...