AVALON, N.J.—Anyone walking by the Concord Suites at street level would have no idea there is a 434-panel, 104 kW solar system on the property’s rooftop. The panels lie flat on the roof to take full advantage of the sun that shines down on the 90-suite hotel in Avalon, N.J. Since the $500,000 system was turned on late last December, it has performed great and with no problems, says Susan Cawley, general manager. In fact, from its turn-on date through June 30 of this year, the system generated all of the electricity the hotel needed. The expectation is that...

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.—LittleFootprint Lighting, a producer of sustainably designed LED task lighting products made in the United States from recycled e-waste, announced it has signed a Master Distributor agreement with Pineapple Hospitality, a distributor of environmentally friendly products to the hospitality industry. The agreement will cover the nationwide distribution of LittleFootprint Lighting’s HeronLED Personal Task Light, the first and only desk lamp made in the United States from e-Waste. As Master Distributor, Pineapple Hospitality will extend the availability of LittleFootprint Lighting’s ultra high-efficiency desktop lighting to all of Pineapple Hospitality’s lodging industry clients.“Pineapple Hospitality is proud to add LittleFootprint...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—Champion Industries, manufacturer of a full line of premier commercial ware washing systems, introduces the EnviroPure Commercial Food Waste Solution System. Champion’s EnviroPure system, properly sized and operated within simple operational guidelines, will turn organic waste into wastewater that meets wastewater discharge standards. Champion will refund the purchase price and remove the system if it does not perform as guaranteed within the first 60 days.Unlike disposers that merely grind waste, EnviroPure uses a proprietary, all natural Bio-Mix additive, to break down food waste daily into safe, clean water that can be used for agricultural needs or just sent...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes DeepStream Designs as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. DeepStream Designs’ custom trash and recycling receptacles coordinate with a property's décor with panels made from wood, recycled plastic lumber, decorative resin, metals, stone, and laminates, and are framed by marine-anodized aluminum legs. DeepStream Designs’ receptacles, modular garden planters, and custom fixtures are engineered and constructed to provide the lowest cost of ownership over time. DeepStream Designs products are made in the United States.Call (305) 857-0466, e-mail dsdmiami@gmail.com, or go to www.deepstreamdesigns.com for more information.

NATIONAL REPORT—Most toilet paper available today for the away-from-home market includes most, if not all, recycled content. While the percentage of pre and post consumer recycled content in bathroom tissue can vary by brand and supplier, the good news is that, whether pre or post consumer material, the use of recycled fiber keeps it out of the landfill. Some brands of tissue are more eco-friendly than others. With a bit of research, one can determine what to consider, besides cost, when making a green purchasing decision.The U.S. Department of Energy ranks paper manufacturing as the fifth most energy-intensive industry:...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Dover Downs Hotel & Casino has partnered with Orlando-based social enterprise Clean the World to collect and recycle hotel soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and gels to help fight the global spread of preventable diseases. The soaps collected by Dover Downs Hotel & Casino will be shipped to Clean the World for recycling and distribution to communities and countries in greatest need through the efforts of Clean the World Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.Dover Downs Hotel & Casino has a total of 500 rooms and is projected to provide nearly 45,000 bars of soap and bottled amenities—more than three...

TULSA, OKLA.—Totally Green, Inc., a provider of organic food processing systems and compostable packaging alternatives, has partnered with Toronto-based York Plains Investment Corp. for a comprehensive program that involves both financing and a new marketing model for Totally Green's ORCA Green Machine. York Plains has agreed to provide $5 million of equity financing for a 50 percent interest in Totally Green. The proceeds will be used to pay down Totally Green’s existing line of credit, and fund the general, administrative and working capital expenditures required to support the Totally Green’s growth objectives. York Plains has also agreed to provide up...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Results of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) 2012 Lodging Survey provide strong evidence that the greening of the U.S. lodging industry is continuing. Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and conducted by STR, 52,155 U.S. hotel properties were polled in the survey that is conducted every two years. Similar data has been collected since 1988. There was a healthy response rate of 23 percent to this year’s survey.While most of the questions were repeated from previous years, there were new questions as well. For example, hoteliers were asked for the first time...

CONCORD, CALIF.—It got official as it can get earlier this year on June 5. It was on that day that the Hilton Concord in Concord, Calif., was designated the Sustainability Flagship by Interstate Hotels & Resorts in a proclamation released by the Office of the Mayor of the City of Concord. The 329-key hotel was selected by Interstate to be the green prototype of what could be rolled out across the company’s other five wholly-owned and managed hotels. “Our plan is to implement similar programs and technologies at our other five wholly-owned hotels as part of our annual planned capital...

WATERFORD, N.Y.—North America’s fourth largest producer of towel and tissue paper, Cascades Tissue Group, announced commercial line expansions of their Cascades Moka 100 percent recycled unbleached bathroom tissue offerings. In addition to the single roll offering, launched in January, Cascades Moka is now available in jumbo rolls (9-inch) and a high capacity format for Cascades Tandem dispensers. The larger formats provide more options to use the product in existing dispensers that are intended for less frequent stocking.Beige in appearance, Cascades Moka offers the highest hygienic qualities and softness while significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with manufacturing a highly...