DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has launched Eco Impacts, an environmental product label for the company’s commercially branded carpet tile and broadloom products. Detailing each product’s ingredient materials, recyclability, environmental certifications and environmental impact, the Eco Impacts label is available through the Patcraft and Shaw Contract Group websites as part of each brand’s product specifications. “In the same way a food label provides consumers with at-a-glance nutrition information to help them make informed purchase decisions, the Eco Impacts label provides our customers with details about the specific environmental attributes of each of our products—all in one place,” said...

CAMAS, WASH.—Environmental issues are a top priority for many consumers. These days, it’s hard to watch TV without hearing about how you can help the environment by “going green.” One increasingly popular way of contributing to the green movement is to install compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), a fluorescent bulb designed to emit as much light as traditional light bulbs while using less energy. CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer. CFLs also produce about 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut cooling...

MADISON, WIS—On the one-year anniversary of the company’s Project Green Wolf, Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, continues to celebrate its distinction as the first and only national hotel chain to have all properties achieve the Green Seal certification—Silver for the lodging portion of its 10 Great Wolf Lodge brand resorts and its Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in the United States. Additionally, Great Wolf Lodge—Niagara Falls received a four leaf Green Leaf Eco-Rating from the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program in Canada. In 2007, Great Wolf Resorts started reducing energy and water...

LOS ANGELES—The Green Garmento marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with a new partnership with Green Wish. Green Wish is a grassroots, nonprofit charitable organization focused on helping local green organizations fund projects for their communities through small donations at local retailers and online in “pay what you can” denominations. Currently Green Wish, whose board of directors includes actress Sharon Lawrence, actor and noted environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. and his wife Rachelle, funds organizations such as Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots (www.rootsandshoots.org), Organic Farming Research Foundation (www.ofrf.org), Friends of the Los Angeles River (www.folar.org), Santa Monica Baykeeper (www.smbaykeeper.org)...

ATLANTA—Simmons Hospitality Bedding, a division of Simmons Contract Sales LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Simmons Bedding Company, is making public its findings from a November 2007 survey aimed at gauging the interest of hotel guests in eco-oriented hotel elements and programs. The survey, which Simmons originally conducted for internal research purposes only, involved more than 300 respondents who are members of different hotels’ frequent guest programs. The results show that hotel environmental responsibility gained traction among guests, with 93 percent of respondents aware of hotel programs geared toward conserving water or energy. Simmons’ research also illustrates how hotel eco-elements potentially...

MCLEAN, VA.—Following two years of testing, Hilton Worldwide has unveiled LightStay, a proprietary system developed to calculate and analyze environmental impact. In the first full year of findings, the 2009 LightStay results show that the 1,300 Hilton Worldwide properties using the system conserved enough energy to power 5,700 homes for a year, saved enough water to fill more than 650 Olympic-size pools and reduced carbon output equivalent to taking 34,865 cars off the road. Reductions in water and energy use also translated into dollars saved for hotel owners, with estimated savings of more than $29 million in utility costs...

MINNEAPOLIS—When Governor Chris Gregoire signed Senate Bill 5543 on March 19, Washington became the first state to address the dangers of unsafe packaging and transportation of used fluorescent lamps and mercury containing devices. This new legislation is set to be the precursor of future state and federal legislation as awareness of mercury vapor dangers increases. Due to deficiencies of most current packaging configurations utilized for shipping used fluorescent lamps, the new law requires that lights and other mercury-containing devices are packaged and shipped in material that will minimize the release of mercury into the environment. The law also states...

Waste management programs can be more challenging for hotels than other green initiatives because there are many kinds of waste to address, and it takes ongoing attention to achieve good results. Yet, successful programs are financially rewarding, and they are noticed by hotel customers more than any other green initiative. This article is intended to help hotels reduce waste and reap the associated benefits. Hotels reduce their operating costs when they manage their waste stream well. Waste management programs cut costs by making some purchases unnecessary, save staff time and reduce trash disposal bills. However, disposal costs vary markedly by region,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Sonoma Soap Company has added something to its all-natural line of Sonoma Soap Products. Beginning this month, the Sonoma brand began carrying the Clean the World logo on its packaging. The co-branded natural bar soaps are part of a unique marketing effort with the nonprofit, Clean the World. In addition to the awareness generated by the new packaging, Sonoma will donate a portion of the proceeds of each co-branded bar purchased to help in its mission of saving lives and recycling soap. “We are proud of this alliance with Clean the World to generate funds and awareness to help...

WINCHESTER, VA.—Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP), a leader in innovative, solutions-based products, announces the newest addition to its line of indoor recycling receptacles. New Element Indoor Recycling Stations provide stylish, centralized collection for multi-stream waste and recycling sortation. “Faced with increasing sustainability regulations and the rise of green building, facility managers and building owners need products that not only satisfy corporate and government requirements, but are also an aesthetically pleasing solution to their recycling program needs,” said Victoria Ciupak, senior product manager—Decorative Receptacles at Rubbermaid Commercial Products. “The attractive design of Element Recycling Stations makes them especially suitable for end-users...