HONOLULU—In its ongoing efforts to “go green,” Outrigger Hotels and Resorts collected a total of 750,000 recyclables in 2011 at its owned and operated hotels throughout Waikiki, preventing more than 17.5 tons of recyclable bottles and cans from entering Honolulu’s landfill. Additionally, Outrigger then donated more than $18,000 in Hi5 redemption reimbursements to Parents and Children Together (PACT), a nonprofit organization that offers social services to Hawaii families in need.“Giving back to the community and helping to keep our island home unmarked by pollution are tremendously important to Outrigger Hotels and Resorts,” said Barry Wallace, executive vice president of...

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH.—Signature Crypton Carpet, a brand that weaves together Crypton’s stain, liquid and odor-causing bacteria resistant fabrics and the design expertise of Signature Carpets, announces their latest venture in sustainable living and environmental preservation—the Yellowstone Collection. Signature Crypton Carpet has collaborated with the Yellow Stone Park Foundation, taking on all of the park’s discarded plastic bottles and turning them into carpet backings. This new line, known as the “Yellowstone Collection” will invest 50 cents of every square yard sold through it’s P2 program, back to The Yellowstone Park Foundation, to help preserve and protect one of America’s most pristine...

PHOENIX—With a healthy number of hotel properties worldwide, Best Western International has pledged to leverage its respected brand to protect the planet and help improve global health and hygiene. Best Western International has partnered with Clean the World on an agreement to recycle all guestroom soaps, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and lotions to help stop the spread of fatal, yet preventable, diseases in communities around the world.The Phoenix-based hotel chain has the potential to add more than 2,100 hotel properties in North America to Clean the World’s growing list of more than 1,300 hospitality partners that are participating in...

MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced the kickoff of World Cleanup 2012, a campaign which aims to cleanup illegal stray garbage and raise people’s awareness. With more than 100 countries participating, World Cleanup 2012 officially began on March 24, and will sweep the globe until September 25. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is the only global partner of World Cleanup 2012 within the hospitality industry. “Doing business in a responsible and sustainable way is of highest importance to our group,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president, Americas. “We have asked our hotels in the Americas to join together in September and do cleanups...

KAPAAU, HAWAII—Guests staying at the boutique-style Hawaii Island Retreat on Hawaii Island’s North Kohala coast can choose to stay in one of the Retreat’s nine lavishly appointed guestrooms or “rough” it a little bit and stay in one of the property’s seven well-appointed yurts. No matter what accommodations are chosen, guests have the satisfaction of knowing they are staying in a place that is off the grid—powered by the sun and wind.The Hawaii Island Retreat is nearing its third anniversary. It opened on April 1, 2009. Jacque Waters, associate director at the property, said the owners—Jeanne Sunderland and Robert...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the newest casino in the Chicagoland area, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Rivers Casino is the first casino in the world to achieve the LEED Gold certification.“We are proud to be recognized as a leader in sustainable development and we hope to set an example for the rest of the gaming and entertainment industries,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rivers Casino. “It’s important to all of our team members that we are a good corporate citizen.”“Achieving LEED...

BOULDER, COLO.—With a simple flip of a switch, The Best Western Plus Boulder Inn recently became the most solar powered hotel in Boulder County. The newly installed 880-kilowatt system that includes 88 solar panels will save 28,694 kWh of electricity production annually, and provide approximately 25 percent of the hotel’s overall electrical needs. A digital reporting device located at the hotel’s front desk provides real-time and cumulative information on CO2 savings and power production. This and other sustainability tracking initiatives applied throughout the hotel will provide a true look at the hotel’s overall environmental impact.“Our goal is to reduce...

NATIONAL REPORT—From an industry penetration standpoint, mattress encasements are still in their “infancy stage,” says Sandy DiVito, vice president Hospitality & Healthcare for Protect-A-Bed. Increasingly, however, lodging establishments are using encasements to extend the life of their mattresses, keeping them out of the landfill and ready for the day when they can either be donated or recycled. From a sustainability standpoint, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to encasements. Encasements reduce the need to clean or treat mattresses, which is often done with toxic chemicals. A reduced need to clean means less labor and less...

HOUSTON—When Deer Lake Lodge & Spa opens this summer, guests will stay in 11 rooms, eight of which were once shipping containers. A total of 23 shipping containers are being used at the resort; 15 will comprise the main building area. The shipping containers are just one recycling example found on the 50-acre property located a 40-minute drive from Houston.Developer Tracy Boulware says that given Houston’s port location, shipping containers are easy to find and very inexpensive. “They are sturdy and very unique,” she says. Where needed, spaces have been cut out of the containers. Blue jean and spray...

AURORA, ONT.—CleanRiver Recycling Solutions, a division of Midpoint International, Inc., has introduced a “Transition-Ready” recycling station that can be customized with a choice of countertops and wood veneer side and front panels. These custom recycling, composting and waste containers use stream-specific, interchangeable opening plates and moveable internal dividers to accept multiple types of recyclables in a single unit that is easily configured—and reconfigured—to meet current and future requirements. The containers are designed to blend in with existing cabinetry.“The Transition liner is the key to this recycling station,” said CleanRiver president Dave Jarrett. “The liner is a system that meets...