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Waste Management

From the guestroom to the loading dock, waste is a perpetual challenge for hoteliers. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce waste—through intelligent purchasing, packaging, recycling and education. Got a great idea about how to turn green into gold? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Waste Management

Home Waste Management
From the guestroom to the loading dock, waste is a perpetual challenge for hoteliers. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce waste—through intelligent purchasing, packaging, recycling and education. Got a great idea about how to turn green into gold? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Portola Hotel & Spa Earns LEED Silver Certification from USGBC

MONTEREY, CALIF.—Setting the bar for environmentally-conscious hotels in Central California, Portola Hotel & Spa, located in the heart of Monterey, was recently granted its Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Portola Hotel & Spa becomes one of only three hotels in all of California and one of only six hotels in the United States to earn this level of accreditation in the Existing Building (EB) category. As an independent hotel brand, and an existing building, Portola Hotel & Spa achieved this certification as a result of a longstanding commitment by...

Trove Introduces Eco-friendly Printed Wallcovering

NEW YORK—Trove, a wallcovering company with a focus on art and nature-inspired themes, introduces REDEUX, an eco-friendly commercial grade printed wallcovering that is a recyclable alternative to PVC. REDEUX contains more than 31 percent post-consumer recycled materials, and combines Type II durability with a Class “A” fire rating. The high level of breathability in the material increases resistance to mold and mildew in humid environments, and with no harmful gas emissions and low VOC emissions, REDEUX contributes to safer air quality and up to 6 LEED point credits. A true alternative to vinyl wallcovering, Trove will also offer a reclamation...

With $18 Million Renovation, Westin Copley Will Build on Green Record

BOSTON—In the early stages of an $18 million renovation project, one that will see a complete guestroom and corridor redesign, the 38-story, 803-room Westin Copley Place in Boston is preparing to add to its long list of environmental achievements. In 2010 the property earned Green Key and Green Seal certification, an Energy Star rating, and significantly reduced its energy consumption, water consumption and waste sent to landfill. The hotel’s green team, which deserves much of the credit for the accomplishments, is led by Jeff Hanulec, director of engineering, an industry veteran constantly on the lookout for ways to improve operational...

Green Lodging News Adds TreeSmart as Directory Partner

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes TreeSmart Industries, Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. TreeSmart manufactures custom imprinted pencils from 100 percent recycled newspapers. The pencils are made using no mulching or mixing with toxic recycling chemicals. They sharpen easily, are as hard as wood pencils, and last longer. All pencils are made with high-quality ferrules and latex-free erasers that do not smudge. Selective colors for erasers are available upon request. Golf-size pencils and recycled paper pens are also available. TreeSmart has been making recycled newspaper pencils since 1998 and...

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Partners with Clean the World

ORLANDO, FLA.—The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a luxurious property located on the shores of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, has partnered with Clean the World, an Orlando-based soap recycling organization, to collect discarded hotel amenities and distribute them to people in need. Collections for recycling begin September 16 and will help reinforce the eco-friendly profile of The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which already enjoys a strong reputation for responsible tourism and sustainable hotel management. Since opening its doors in 1890, the Chateau has been a distinguished vacation destination in the heart of Banff National Park. With 554 guestrooms and suites,...

Euro Disney, Pierre & Vacances Introduce Villages Nature

PARIS—Euro Disney S.C.A. Group (“Euro Disney”) and Groupe Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs (“Pierre & Vacances”) recently unveiled their new concept of a vacation destination based on the search for harmony between man and nature. The destination would be, in its design and in its operations, a unique model of sustainable development for tourism and be called Les Villages Nature de Val d’Europe (Villages Nature). As a mixed-use resort, Villages Nature will work with visionary landscape architects to develop new lodging and leisure experiences that will provide multiple opportunities for visitors to interact with nature. These activities would be...

GLN Adds EnviroPure Systems Inc. as Directory Partner

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes EnviroPure Systems Inc. (EPS) as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. EPS’ food waste elimination systems eliminate food waste onsite within 24 hours. The systems are self-contained, continual feed, organic waste disposal systems. EPS manufactures in the United States and offers a choice of two technologies. Dry technology requires no water or drainage and can be located inside or outside. Wet technology eliminates food waste under water generating nutrient rich effluent. EPS custom designs every machine to best serve facility operational flow and space constraints. EPS...

Pillow Talk: Vendors Offer Insight on What Makes Pillows Eco-friendly

NATIONAL REPORT—Stack all the pillows thrown away by hotels each year and you have got one mighty high mountain of cotton, polyester, down and feathers. Given the volume of pillow waste sent to landfills each year, it certainly makes sense to choose “green” pillow options when possible. What makes a pillow eco-friendly? The materials a pillow is made of certainly matters but so does where it is made, how well it is maintained throughout its life, and what happens to it at the end of its life. Vendors may argue about which materials are the most eco-friendly but the...

LATHER Adds EcoPure to Amenities Packaging

PASADENA, CALIF.—LATHER, the Los Angeles-based personal care and hotel amenities company, has begun offering its bath and shower amenities in biodegradable plastic packaging. Drawing on a new additive called EcoPure, packaging will be able to biodegrade within a landfill and be turned into new plastic products when recycled. This new initiative earned LATHER a Star of the Industry Award for “Technology Innovator of the Year” from the California branch of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA, AH&LA). LATHER is the inaugural winner of this award for the state of California, and the first vendor to win a Star...

Interface Makes Commitment to Green Product Declarations

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Interface Inc. recently announced that, as part of its Mission Zero commitment to eliminate negative environmental impact by 2020, the company pledges to obtain third-party validated environmental product declarations (EPDs) on all InterfaceFLOR products globally by 2012. The maker of environmentally responsible modular carpet has also unveiled an interactive report, “2010 Mission Zero Milestones,” sharing 16 years of progress and previewing the challenges ahead in the next decade. Finally, Interface issued a call to action for other companies, large and small, to set bold goals in the pursuit of sustainability. “With the multitude of environmental labels in the marketplace,...