MONTVALE, N.J.—BioHitech’s high-volume organic waste decomposition technology, launched earlier this year, received the award for Innovation in Green Technology at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show. The company’s GOHBio 1001 Series was recognized. The decomposition unit, which is energy efficient and made of stainless steel, breaks down food waste into a liquid within 24 hours; enabling it to be safely disposed of down the drain. Resultantly, greenhouse gases are reduced, landfill space and fuel are preserved, and ultimately, dependency on fossil fuels and other foreign oil sources declines. Additionally, overall costs associated with work flow efficiencies, janitorial supplies and...

LOS ANGELES—The California Integrated Waste Management Board has chosen carpet manufacturer Bentley Prince Street, Inc. as the recipient of the 2008 CalRecycle Sustainable Business Award. The award is the highest honor from the Board’s annual Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP), and honors a business that has taken extraordinary measures to reduce waste by cutting the amount of trash it produces, conserving resources and reducing waste disposal in landfills. “As California’s largest commercial carpet manufacturer, we believe we have a responsibility to help move our state toward a zero-waste future as we work toward our Mission Zero goal of eliminating our...

LUDLOW, VERMONT— Okemo Mountain Resort’s Jackson Gore Inn was recently designated as a Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State by the environmental business partnership between the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Small Business Development Center. This designation is based on the Inn’s voluntary commitment to sound environmental excellence through the placement and achievement of high environmental standards. The Jackson Gore Inn is one of 64 Green Hotels in Vermont to earn the distinguished designation. “This is an evolving commitment and we believe that eco-friendly operation can be accomplished with no negative impacts on the quality of...

NEW YORK—Five exhibitors in five green categories were honored with Editors’ Choice Awards during the Opening Ceremonies of the 93rd annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), Sunday, November 9, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The awards program recognizes best new products within the categories of décor, essentials, luxury, restaurant and technology. The first day of the IH/M&RS was also highlighted by a keynote presentation on “Sustainability” by Christine Ervin, former president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and president of Christine Ervin/Company. The 2008 IH/M&RS Editors’ Choice Award winners in the five...

KEYSTONE, COLO.—As the public becomes increasingly conscious of being green, choosing a meeting space that is environmentally-friendly has become a top priority for many incentive groups. Keystone Conference Center, the largest conference venue in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, has made a commitment to the environment by introducing clean energy technology. Keystone, located in the White River National Forest, is entrusted with the stewardship of lands. Because of its location, the destination has the opportunity to directly protect the environment of its surroundings and engage in resource conservation by means of renewable energy use, recycling, composting, and other forms of...

DALLAS—Motel 6 is saying “goodbye” to carpet and “hello” to a clean, green, wood-effect laminate flooring in its new Phoenix Prototype and property renovations (retrofits). Motel 6’s new flooring is made of 80 percent pre-consumer recycled material, including an inner wood core comprised of oak and cherry wood chips that would otherwise be burned or thrown into a landfill. The new flooring is also a critical component of the updated Motel 6 design. As the literal foundation of the room, this flooring plays a major role in defining the feel of the space, giving it an updated, larger, and...

NATIONAL REPORT—At least four companies in the United States are making it easy for hotels to dramatically reduce food waste volume by up to 90 percent. The decomposition machines they make, which are available in different sizes, can significantly reduce waste hauling costs and the volume of waste typically sent to the landfill. For the environment, there are additional benefits because fewer trucks have to roll and less waste sits in the landfill producing methane—a greenhouse gas. Food waste decomposition machines can be pricey but when used regularly can pay for themselves in three to five years. Lease options...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Environmental Specialty Products as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Environmental Specialty Products has been manufacturing leisure and park furniture made from the highest grade of recycled plastic lumber for more than 16 years. The leisure furniture has been designed to fit into any backyard setting, yet it has the strength and durability to also meet the needs of the commercial environment. The park series includes sturdy recycling and waste containers, as well as park benches and picnic tables. Other product types available include rockers, gliders, tables,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The Peabody Orlando announces the rollout of its green initiative entitled, “The Greener Peabody—C.A.R.E. (Conserve and Recycle for our Earth). “Many of these initiatives have already been in place for some time, but we have significantly stepped up our efforts to go even greener,” said Marshall Kelberman, director of rooms for this landmark, luxury hotel on International Drive. Kelberman also heads up the hotel’s Greener Peabody committee. “Frankly, it’s everyone’s responsibility to design—and then execute—practical green initiatives for our planet’s sake and for our children and grandchildren,” said Kelberman. “Ours is a hotel-wide initiative in which all associates are...

NATIONAL REPORT—Carpet cushion, also known as underlayment, has been one of the greenest products available to the lodging industry for years. More than 80 percent of carpet cushion sold today is made from bonded polyurethane foam cushion (“bonded” or “rebond”). It comes from a combination of salvaged, scrapped or recycled polyurethane foam generated during the making of furniture, bedding and other products—cushions for car seats, for example. Polyurethane is ground up into small pieces, bonded under pressure with a binder into blocks, and then cut into thin slices of different thicknesses and widths. Used carpet cushion is also recycled...