BOSTON—With the public comment period closing on August 23, only a few steps remain for the approval of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) proposed commercial food waste ban set to take effect by July 1, 2014. According to Greg Cooper, division director of Business Compliance for MassDEP’s Bureau of Waste Prevention, an initial review of the public comments showed little opposition to the ban. “My hope is that we can move the package fairly quickly and stay on track with our intended schedule of implementation,” Cooper says. The commercial food waste ban initially will impact hotels in...

LOS ANGELES—L’Heure Bleue, the eco-chic resort of Nosy Be, in Madagascar, has been created as a model for sustainable tourism: Everything is designed from the outset, in a spirit of respect for the environment and sustainable development, in harmony with local people. L’Heure Bleue was recently awarded Green Globe certification.“L’Heure Bleue wants to demonstrate that another type of tourism is achievable, based on ethical values and respect,” said Yves Benouaich, general manager. “We would like to prove that responsible tourism brings together pleasure and well-being, without impacting on the quality of services and benefits. We are committed to fight...

ATLANTA—Simmons Bedding Co. and its Hospitality Division (Simmons Hospitality) announced the implementation of a new mattress recycling program. The company recently partnered with Global Sustainability Solutions (GSS) to handle recycling services for hospitality sales. This initiative marks one of the most significant milestones in Simmons’ sustainability efforts.The new Simmons Hospitality/GSS program will provide mattress installation, removal and recycling services, including delivery coordination and installation of the new product, as well as removal and transportation of the old bed sets—including bedframes—to a designated recycling plant.Under this new program, hospitality clientele purchasing new product from Simmons, such as the new Simmons...

ALPHARETTA, CA.—The Refinishing Touch, a leader in on-site, environmentally safe and cost-effective furniture asset management services for private and public organizations, has announced its preferred vendor partnership with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), and its contract to provide furniture asset management services to each of the hotel group’s premier locations. FRHI encompasses three distinct brands—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts—and provides travelers with access to luxury, world-class lodging accommodations through its 139 properties worldwide.Through its new relationship with FRHI, The Refinishing Touch is contracted to provide its award-winning furniture asset management solutions...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—On Monday, August 12, 2013, California’s Assembly Natural Resources Committee approved SB 254 (Hancock/Correa) by a 7-0 bipartisan vote. The intent of SB 254 is to create a used mattress recycling program that will keep old mattresses out of landfills, off highways, and out of vacant lots and alleys. Per the authors of the legislation, Senator Loni Hancock representing Berkeley and Senator Lou Correa representing Santa Ana, this type of legislation creates a win-win situation by furthering California’s overall recycling goals.Specifically, SB 254 creates a used mattress recycling program that will have a dedicated funding mechanism, reduce the...

The most effective way to set up viable recycling programs is using a method that I call parallel access. Recycling bins for most commonly-discarded materials should be located next to but be visibly different than the trash bins. The decision the guest makes of whether or not to participate in the recycling program should only take a fraction of an instant and the effort required to do so shouldn’t take much longer. For example, if your guest has a trash bin in their room, but has to walk down the hallway to get to a recycling bin, that is...

TROY, N.Y.—Audubon International announced it has partnered with Clean the World, a nonprofit organization that recycles soap and bottled amenities from the hospitality industry and distributes them in needed areas throughout the world. Audubon International is offering a 10 percent discount on its Green Lodging Program annual membership fee for hospitality properties enrolled in the Clean the World program.“Environmental quality and human health are inherently linked in the context of global sustainability,” said Ryan Aylesworth, president and CEO of Audubon International. “Our organization has a long history of collaborating with diverse partners to advance environmental stewardship and address important...

LISLE, ILL.—Air Cycle Corp. has unveiled Viking Pure, an electrolyzed water technology that allows organizations of all varieties to create their own non-toxic cleaning and sanitizing solutions on-site, in real-time and for a fraction of the cost of traditional cleaning and sanitizing chemicals. This is done using water, a little salt, and a small charge of electricity. The system transforms the ions in the water into two safe solutions.Within the unit, chloride ions are converted into Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl), a sanitizer with a kill time of just seconds, while sodium ions are transformed into Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), an alkaline...

CHICAGO—Top officials from Protect-A-Bed, a leading provider of bedding protection products, announced the company has appointed four new distributors. Protect-A-Bed has named Advance Foam Limited (Barbados, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Tobago and Trinidad), Matsushita Greatwall Corp. (Singapore) and Valmar Export Group (Columbia) as sole distributors of Protect-A-Bed products in their respective countries. Protect-A-Bed has also extended an agreement with King Koil Corp. to include Thailand. King Koil currently distributes Protect-A-Bed products in Malaysia.“We are excited about the expanding markets and continuing to make Protect-A-Bed the top-of-mind brand for consumers when they think of protecting their mattress and creating a healthy...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—On July 15, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed legislation into law that would create the United States’ second mattress recycling program. The International Sleep Products Assn. (ISPA) worked closely with Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio and House Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chair Representative Arthur Handy to craft legislation that will recycle used mattresses in Rhode Island. The legislation tasks mattress manufacturers in Rhode Island with creating an organization to responsibly collect and process discarded mattresses throughout the Ocean State.“We were pleased to work with state officials to develop legislation that promotes the proper disposal...