DALTON, GA.—The California Water Environment Association (CWEA) has named Shaw Industries Group Inc.’s Santa Fe Springs, Calif. plant “Facility of the Year.” The award recognizes Shaw’s innovative wastewater and stormwater management, air quality and waste management conservation efforts. Shaw accepted the honor late last month at the CWEA’s 38th annual P3S Training Conference & Exhibition at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara. “Shaw’s Santa Fe Springs facility stands out in California for its commitment to environmentally conscious practices across all aspects of its operations,” said Paul D. Schmidtbauer, CWEA P3S Awards Committee Chair—South. “From recycling and saving millions of gallons of...

SAN FRANCISCO—Honoring its 30-year commitment to environmental responsibility and care, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will celebrate Kimpton EarthCare Week from April 15 to 22, 2011. From pop-up eco art exhibits to organic spa packages and recycling drives, this national celebration builds upon Kimpton’s devotion to environmental responsibility and will inspire guests to give back to local communities when they stay, eat and play with Kimpton. Local community members, hotel guests and restaurant diners can participate in Kimpton EarthCare Week events and offers in 23 cities nationwide. Activity examples include: • Pop-Up Eco Art Exhibits: Select Kimpton hotels will partner with local...

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Commercial Zone Products introduces its new InnRoom Recycler—part of the Precision Series family which offers trash and recycling compartments in one container.  The new in-room recycler is ideal for hotel guestrooms, bathrooms, fitness rooms and offices; it easily fits under any desk or counter. The InnRoom Recycler comes complete with two removable 1.6-gallon liners and can hold at least six uncrushed 16 ounce water bottles. A set of decals allows you to customize your receptacle to fit your recycling needs. One bin, two liners with extended lip is convenient and quick for housekeeping to empty; saving time and costs....

WASHINGTON, D.C.—To help its members expand environmental sustainability efforts, the National Restaurant Association announced that it is working with the Atlanta-based Zero Waste Zone program to identify best practices, create resources and measure the impact of perishable organics waste management efforts. Celebrating its second anniversary today, the Zero Waste Zone program is administered by Elemental Impact. The collaboration is part of the Association’s Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative. “Atlanta’s Zero Waste Zone program has been incredibly successful, and we are now looking to expand that success to communities nationwide,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president for policy and government affairs...

SEATTLE—Two Columbia Hospitality managed properties—Salish Lodge & Spa and Bell Harbor International Conference Center—announced the results of each property’s participation in the Greening Washington’s Lodging Industry pilot program. Spearheaded by the Washington Lodging Association (WLA) and Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. (Cascadia), results of the program are intended to provide a roadmap to industry peers, guests and the public for adopting positive environmental practices throughout Washington State. The Greening Washington’s Lodging Industry program was funded by a $53,000 Public Participation Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, one of only 13 such grants funded in 2009. In January 2010, WLA...

SPRINGDALE, ARK.—MoistureShield composite decking products from Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies (A.E.R.T.) are now verified with 95 percent total recycled content—up from the 90 percent total recycled content previously listed in company literature. A report issued by the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) provides independent verification of 57 percent pre-consumer recycled content and 38 percent post-consumer recycled content. The report also gives design and building professionals a fast and easy way to see how MoistureShield composite decking can help contribute towards rating points under leading green building programs. “Composite decking brands vary greatly in their amount of recycled content,” says...

LOS ANGELES—A new program was initiated this month in the Gateway to L.A. business district that is helping hotels reduce waste, meet green certification standards, and provide assistance to an area homeless shelter: InnGage Hotel Amenity Donation Program. The Gateway to L.A. business district contains more than 7,100 hotel rooms, with an average length of stay of approximately 1.2 nights. Every day, hotel guests depart having used only a small portion of the toiletries provided for their stay. These bottles of shampoos and lotions often go to waste, while there are people in the community in need of these very...

CHICAGO—Cintas Corp. introduced EcoGeneration by Cintas scrubs, an eco-apparel option designed for housekeeping personnel in the hospitality industry. This new apparel line is constructed with REPREVE recycled fibers, which are woven into a wearable, comfortable scrub line. “In an industry that employs more than 1.9 million workers, transitioning housekeeping staff into environmentally friendly work wear can have a significant impact on a hotel’s environmental program,” said Todd McKeown, Vice President of Hospitality at Cintas. “These scrubs also help promote productivity, because workers stay comfortable throughout the day and are better able to perform their job functions.” REPREVE, made by Unifi, Inc.,...

NEW YORK—In November 2010, the Grand Hyatt New York implemented a comprehensive recycling program for its public spaces. One of the ways the Grand Hyatt sought to meets its aesthetic and operational recycling objectives was to offer a collection of upscale recycling bins throughout its meeting spaces, lobby, and elevator bay areas. The hotel worked with T2 Site Amenities to develop a comprehensive recycling solution for their office staff, guests, and meeting attendees. This included purchasing the Metro recycling series (shown) and setting up a new Standard of Operations to sustain the action of recycling. According to Diana Beltran, the...

CHICAGO—The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place’s approach to sustainability is not to make one big splash with one giant investment. Instead, says Roger Martin, director of engineering at the 800-room hotel, “Our focus is to do a lot of the little things that add up to one big green initiative.” That approach is definitely working. The hotel, which is part of the giant McCormick Place complex that attracts close to 3 million visitors annually, reduced its electricity consumption by 12.7 percent from 2009 to 2010 and its water consumption by 24.4 percent. Part of those reductions was a result of...