BROOMFIELD, COLO.—The government’s recent Cash for Clunkers program helped the environment by getting thousands of gas-guzzling cars off the roads. Now, PhoneSuite is bringing that concept to the hospitality industry in an effort to rid hotels of older, energy-guzzling telephone systems. PhoneSuite, a leading provider of telecom solutions designed exclusively for the hospitality industry, and participating Authorized PhoneSuite Resellers have set up a $1 million fund to reward hoteliers for replacing their aging, environmentally unfriendly phone systems. From now until March 31, 2010, or when the fund is gone, hotel owners who purchase an energy-efficient PhoneSuite hotel/motel PBX will...

KEY LARGO, FLA.—The Key Largo Resorts Marina was recently awarded Clean Marina Certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and The Clean Boating Partnership in recognition of their efforts in adopting environmentally friendly practices beyond standard regulatory requirements. The marine improvements and newly implemented programs help protect the waters, natural wildlife and clean facilities at Key Largo Resorts Marina. Some of Key Largo Resorts Marina’s initiatives include the use of oil absorbers in bilges, utilization of recycling centers, and the installation of multiple trash receptacles. “We have developed a ‘best practices’ standard which all of our vendors...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—With its recent $1 billion in renovations, the Holiday Inn brand has earned well-deserved publicity. Perhaps the Holiday Inn property deserving of the most buzz this year, however, is the brand new Holiday Inn Northwest/Sea World in San Antonio. The 194-room hotel is on track to be the first LEED certified hotel in Texas and the first LEED certified property within the 3,300-property Holiday Inn brand. The hotel, which opened on October 5, is owned by a group of investors out of Lubbock, Texas, and managed by Dallas-based Hospitality Management Corp. Green highlights of the 100 percent...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—High in the Colorado Rockies a life-saving necessity is making its way to the island nation of Haiti and abroad. By partnering with Orlando, Fla.-based Clean the World, Inc., RockResorts is collecting barely-used soap and shampoo from its collection of eight hotels and enabling the charity to provide the much-needed supplies to needy people in homeless shelters and impoverished countries around the world. Recently Clean the World delivered a shipment of 45,000 bars of soap to Cap Haitien, Haiti. Another 100,000 bars just arrived in Haiti, the poorest country of the western hemisphere, to be distributed in the...

NEW YORK—The total number of exhibitors may have been less than previous years due to the economy and other factors but the number of vendors offering green products and services was stronger than ever at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS). The event was held November 8 to 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Visitors to the show found exhibitors featuring amenity bottles that biodegrade much faster than traditional plastic bottles; dispensers that eliminate amenity bottles altogether; a nonprofit that matches up hotels with other nonprofits to help eliminate food, toiletry...

LOS ANGELES—Bentley Prince Street has just moved a few steps closer to “closing the loop” entirely on its products through the introduction of new backing technologies for both its broadloom and carpet tile products. Both High PerformancePC, the company’s new standard broadloom backing, and SelectRC, its new standard hard-back carpet tile backing, incorporate recycled and reprocessed carpet backing into new carpet backing. All manufacturing processes for both backings are performed in the company’s California headquarters, eliminating the need for, and associated environmental impacts of, additional transportation. “Through these new backings, as well as the introduction of our first product using...

NEW YORK—LG Electronics USA, Inc., a leading provider of flat-panel HDTVs to the lodging industry, and the leading recycler, Waste Management, Inc., announced a recycling program for hotel operators to responsibly dispose of outdated television sets and computer monitors. In 2010 alone, hundreds of hotels are expected to upgrade thousands of rooms with energy-efficient LG flat-panel digital TVs, which will displace older analog picture tube TVs. To support this growing trend, LG Electronics will now offer environmentally conscious hotel, motel and resort operators a cost-effective opportunity for recycling the obsolete hotel TVs. Under this new program planned for launch in 2010,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Efforts to green practices in the lodging industry involve many cutting-edge initiatives. But simple steps can also be effective, especially when dealing with an issue that remains problematic. The disposal of feminine care products is a topic no one wants to talk about but the impact on the environment and the health and safety of guests and employees is significant. Toilets are a convenient and quick way to get rid of personal care products. Out of sight, out of mind. But with each unnecessary flush, between 1 and 3.5 gallons of water is wasted. To be water efficient, according...

FORT LAUDERDALE—Valley Forge Fabrics, a leader in sustainable textiles, was honored as a finalist by the Natural Resources Committee of Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce as it hosted its first annual Sustainable South Florida Awards. The Green Business Award honors a South Florida business that provides a superior product, service, or innovation that enables others to practice sustainable and green efforts. The award also recognizes new processes or ways of doing business with a significant environmental benefit. There were over 100 nominees in the first annual Sustainable South Florida Awards and 31 in the Green Business category including giants...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—The Refinishing Touch, a specialist in environmentally safe and sustainable on-site furniture refinishing, upholstery and armoire modifications, has added new environmentally-friendly materials to its Touch Textiles fabrics brand. The new line includes a range of 100 percent recycled fabrics finished with GreenShield, a Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) recognized, low fluorocarbon treatment that uses two-thirds less chemicals without compromising the durability, moisture resistance, stain resistance or nonflammable qualities of the fabric. In recent years, the industry has seen a massive increase in the use and demand for eco-friendly textiles. Close to 12 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste ends...