LAS VEGAS—Bellagio is world-renowned for the spectacular floral exhibitions found within its sunlit Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Each display memorably showcases tens of thousands of flowers, plants and organic materials in artful vignettes. When an exhibit ends, however, the journey just begins for each planting—all find a new beginning through a composting endeavor that turns them into nutrient-rich mulch, creating an endless circle of life. Actively dedicated to environmentally sustainable practices, Bellagio’s expert horticulture staff composted and recycled more than 600 tons of materials in 2009 alone including flowers, trees, shrubs and plants. In addition, Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens...

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Sustainable Living Group, Inc. has been launched to provide the travel, industrial, hospitality and lifestyle industries with eco-friendly products made from sustainable resources. Sustainable Living Group was started because the founders felt there was a lack of everyday products that are made with sustainable materials—from simple necessities like shower caps and shower curtains to industrial products like biodegradable ponchos, coveralls and aprons.    “We founded Sustainable Living Group because we felt that there was a lack of eco-friendly products that we as consumers really wanted to be more readily available to purchase and use,” said Quyen Huynh, COO of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Washington Marriott at Metro Center announced that it has received the 2010 Environmental Excellence Award for “Outstanding Achievement by a Hotel.” The hotel is one of nine District businesses and nonprofit organizations recognized for their environmental stewardship, innovative best practices, pollution prevention and resource conservation. “We are delighted to be recognized by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the city of Washington, D.C. for our efforts to reduce energy, water, waste and the way we demonstrate how responsible hotel operations can be a positive force for the environment,” said Meg Bobinski, general manager, Washington Marriott at Metro Center. “Our...

CHICAGO—Cintas Corp. announced the availability of a new eco-apparel option for the housekeeping department. Designed with the environment in mind, Cintas’ Velocity collection has been reinvented to include a 60/40 recycled polyester/polyester blend fabric. This is one of several eco-friendly collections by Cintas to be introduced for housekeeping this year. “Housekeeping is often the largest department in a hotel,” said Todd McKeown, vice president of hospitality at Cintas. “By converting our existing collections into eco-apparel, housekeepers now have a choice that supports their hotel’s green initiatives. Using eco-friendly garments in the housekeeping department substantially broadens a hotel’s environmental commitment.” To develop...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Hospitality Battery Holder as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Kissimmee, Fla.-based Hospitality Battery Holder specializes in electronic battery holders for the most common locks available today. The company’s battery holders replace expensive wrap-around battery packs that are typically thrown away at end of life. With Hospitality Battery Holder’s battery holders, one can use rechargeable batteries or the batteries of one’s preference. There is no need to dispose of the holder. The compact battery holder is equipped with a dual or three-wire connector specifically designed to be...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Commercial Zone Products as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Commercial Zone Products offers an attractive way to recycle with its stainless steel SS Recycler. The SS Recycler is one unit but includes two liners and decals to personalize recycling needs. The SS Recycler is ideal for conference rooms, business centers, lobbies and other areas. Commercial Zone Products also offers other durable recycling containers for indoor or outdoor use.For more information, e-mail cpservice@dcim.com, call (800) 782-7273, or go to www.commercialzone.com.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.—Wen-I Chang, founder and president of Atman Hospitality Group, Inc., has published a book that profiles 23 green hotels—both pre-LEED pioneer green hotels and the LEED certified hotels that followed. The creator of the book, called "World's LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development," is Ling Ling Chang, project manager with Atman Hospitality Group. Twenty of the hotels profiled in the hard cover book are in the United States, one is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one is in Sri Lanka, and the other is in Chile. Hotels profiled include: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.; Maho Bay Camps,...

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.—Sweet Flavor announces the launch of its new site specializing in biodegradable disposable tableware. The company also announces a new line of bamboo and pine disposable tableware. “This is giant step forward in the growth of our company,” says Jamil Bouchareb, co-owner of Sweet Flavor of Florida. “Market research shows that four out of five caterers and consumers choose to use a sustainable food serving solution over a more harmful, non-biodegradable choice. Sustainable disposable tableware is the wave of the future.” Sweet Flavor of Florida sells to hundreds of eco-conscious fortune 500 companies. Some of its major clients include...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—NSF International announced that Mannington Commercial is the first company certified to NSF’s new American National Sustainability Assessment Standard for resilient floor covering. Certification against this standard provides a means to evaluate the environmental performance and sustainability attributes of a range of floor products. The new standard, NSF/ANSI 332 Sustainability Assessment Standard for Resilient Floor Coverings (NSF/ANSI 332), was developed to help the floor covering industry recognize and promote sustainable manufacturing practices. Mannington Commercial has met the environmental and sustainability criteria and provides proven assurance to the public regarding these products. NSF/ANSI 332 establishes a point-based system in which...

ADELPHI, MD.—The Marriott Inn & Conference Center at the University of Maryland University College is the first hotel to be listed as a Maryland Green Travel Partner as part of a statewide program aimed at reducing the environmental impact of Maryland’s tourism industry.  This designation is due in part to the robust recycling and composting program at the hotel that now in its third year, has significantly decreased the hotel’s waste stream. Three years after launching a comprehensive “green” program, the Marriott Inn & Conference Center UMUC has reduced the percentage of its solid waste that gets sent to the...