NEW YORK—Local lawmakers in New York City have introduced legislation that would effectively ban the use of polystyrene packaging at restaurants and other foodservice outlets in the area.The legislation, introduced June 12 into the City Council by members Lewis A. Fidler, Vincent J. Gentile and Letitia James in conjunction with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would prevent operators from using the plastic foam packaging at full-service and quick-service restaurants, cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops, grocery stores, vending trucks or carts and cafeterias.Mayor Bloomberg initially proposed the ban during his State of the City address in February.If passed, the regulation, which would be...

NATIONAL REPORT—This year could be a landmark year for mattress recycling. Time will tell if other states will follow their leads but three states—California, Connecticut and Rhode Island—are getting closer to creating the infrastructure for statewide mattress recycling. Late last month, California’s State Senate approved SB 254 which creates a used mattress recycling program. Assembly hearings on that legislation, according to Ryan Trainer, president, International Sleep Products Assn. (ISPA), are expected to begin early next month. Earlier this year, with Public Act 13-42, Connecticut became the first state to pass comprehensive mattress recycling legislation. In Rhode Island, Trainer says,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Clean the World, the largest global recycler of hotel amenities, has expanded to Asia. The organization’s new soap recycling facility in Hong Kong provides an essential service to a region quickly running out of landfill space. It is projected to divert 110 tons of soap from landfills in the first year.This is the first operations center outside North America for Clean the World, a social enterprise committed to saving lives around the world by collecting and recycling soap and shampoo products discarded by the hospitality industry. Nearly 2,000 hotels across North America currently participate in the program. Since...

IRVING, TEXAS—Darling International Inc. and Griffin Industries LLC recently announced the launch of DAR PRO Solutions, A Darling/Griffin Brand. DAR PRO Solutions was an exhibitor at the recent National Restaurant Association Show offering premium recycling services to the food service and restaurant industries in all 50 states, repurposing inedible meat and cooking oil by-products into globally-marketed animal feed nutrients, renewable fuels, and ingredients used in a diverse range of commercial and industrial applications.In addition to announcing a new brand, DAR PRO Solutions is also introducing the BOSS Fresh Oil Management Solution—a fresh and used cooking oil management solution. This...

CHICAGO—Carpet tile manufacturer Interface introduces Net Effect, inspired both by the ocean’s life-giving power and its plight—marine life and habitats that are endangered by discarded fishing nets, acidification, over-fishing, pollution and climate change. Net Effect debuted at NeoCon this week in Interface’s Chicago Merchandise Mart showroom, and will roll out globally throughout 2013. Manufacturing will take place locally in Interface’s North American, European, and Asia-Pacific facilities. This uniform global production allows for specification on six continents.The collection was born of Net-Works, an innovative global business and conservation association between Interface and the conservation charity the Zoological Society of London...

SYOSSET, N.Y.—Emerald Brand, a leader in environmentally friendly facility, break room and disposable products for hotels and offices, and WNW Hospitality announced that they are proactively working together to reduce the environmental impact of traveling, by partnering to supply tissue and paper products made from rapidly renewable materials for WNW’s Woodbury, N.Y.; Fort Lee, N.J.; and Boston hotels. In an effort to proactively make a positive impact on the environment and set an example for other companies to follow, WNW is working with Emerald Brand to use alternative products in their Best Western Inns.“We are so proud to partner...

PORTLAND, ORE.—LeanPath Inc., creators of the patented LeanPath Food Waste Prevention System, recently unveiled their next-generation, cloud-based solution. LeanPath Online is a complete system to measure food waste, analyze data and make changes to prevent recurring waste in the future. LeanPath focuses on pre-consumer food waste prevention, understanding that food service operations throw away from four to 10 percent of food purchases prior to serving them to consumers. The system also includes features to track and minimize post-consumer food waste.The next generation of the LeanPath Tracker, an automated food waste collection terminal, functions as the foundation for the new...

A guest first arrives at your property. When they do, those first few moments will likely be what they remember and set the tone for their entire stay and experience. So how do you imprint the green behaviors that you want your guests to have, or convey the “green facility” features that you want to convey? If you miss that window and your guest harbors negative perceptions of your facility, you will likely spend their entire stay trying to overcome that. The moment your guests arrive is an incredibly busy moment for them. They are likely tired from their trip....

CINCINNATI—Cintas announced that it diverted more than 17 million 16.9-ounce plastic bottles from landfills in 2012 through the production of its EcoGeneration line. This represents a 13 percent increase over the company’s 2011 totals. Cintas also reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water and solid waste production, energy use and fuel emissions through its document management and fire protection services.“Our increased plastic bottle recycling is made possible because of our customers’ dedication to environmental stewardship,” said Melanie Boyle, sustainability manager, Cintas. “We are continually working to identify new ways to achieve sustainability savings across our divisions and share these ideas with...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—On Wednesday, May 29, 2013, California’s State Senate approved SB 254 (Hancock/Correa) by a 32-5 bipartisan vote. SB 254 creates a used mattress recycling program that will reduce the impact of illegally dumped mattresses, harness existing infrastructure for transporting used mattresses to recyclers, create jobs, and minimize costs to both government and consumers.International Sleep Products Assn. president, Ryan Trainer commented, “We are very pleased the California State Senate recognizes that SB 254 will improve used mattress recycling in the state in a practical and efficient manner. Since its inception, all stakeholders have been diligently working to craft sound...