CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Most hotel electronic door lock systems utilize plastic keycards made primarily of polyvinyl chloride—also known as PVC. The vast majority of these cards eventually find their way into our landfills where they take thousands of years to degrade. Believing that this situation was environmentally unacceptable, Cadmus Whitehall Group has created a new keycard alternative known as Green-Key. Green-Key is an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional plastic hotel keycard. The cards are compatible with existing key lock systems but unlike plastic keycards, Green-Key cards are biodegradable and produced from paperboard, a renewable resource. In addition, the new cards are...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Roos International Ltd. as a Green Product Directory partner. Roos is the maker of EnVision, a wallcovering that performs like vinyl and looks like vinyl, but is an alternative to vinyl. With no VOCs, it is printed with water-based inks, includes recycled and renewable content, and can be recycled. It is affordable, easy to install/remove, dimensionally stable, and highly breathable. Envision meets Type I and Type II Wallcovering Durability Characteristics and is available in a variety of textures and patterns. Go to Roos International Ltd., write to...

HIGHLAND PARK, ILL.—Hotels looking to go “green” have typically been at a loss to find attractive recycling containers for their high profile areas. According the Steve Tilkin, principal of T2 Site Amenities, “hospitality distributors have not offered attractive recycling containers and manufacturers of aesthetic recycling containers have not targeted hospitality.” T2 Site Amenities is bridging that gap by introducing a wide array of upscale recycling solutions from an assortment of top manufacturers. Hotel guests who recycle at home expect to recycle while traveling. Moreover, surveys have shown that the majority of hotel guests will use recycling containers if given the...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Harris Pillow as a sponsor. Harris Pillow Supply is a family-owned business that has specialized in manufacturing high-end pillows for quality conscious customers in the hotel and motel industry since 1958. Harris also manufactures the Pillow-Vac©, a machine used to renovate pillows in hotels and motels, eliminating much of the pillow replacement cost for a minimum investment. To learn more, go to www.harrispillow.com, call (800) 845-8240, or e-mail harrispillow@charter.net.

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Simmons Bedding Co. as a sponsor. Simmons is the maker of the EverNU™ Top. The EverNU™ removable top, available on select Beautyrest® and Beautyrest Black™ mattresses, allows hotels to maintain the original comfort of a bed for the life of the mattress by replacing the top upholstery layers. This design guarantees guests the comfort and cleanliness of a fresh mattress, and also makes economic and environmental sense—by keeping mattresses out of landfills. The EverNU™ top can be replaced at a fraction of the cost of a new...

KENNESAW, GA.—The Mohawk Group announced that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) National Furniture Center (NFC) honored the global flooring manufacturer for the second time in four years with the coveted 2007 Evergreen Award during a recent reception in Washington, D.C. The environmental accolade affirms The Mohawk Group’s ongoing dedication to reducing waste by improving energy and resource efficiencies through innovative products, processes and services. “Receiving the GSA Evergreen Award is a shining achievement in The Mohawk Group’s history,” said Al Kabus, president of The Mohawk Group. “Environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of our corporate character, and this honor only...

WINCHESTER, VA.—Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP), a leader in durable facility maintenance solutions, introduces its new Deluxe Paneled Carts—making waste and linen management smart and stylish. With faux mahogany finished doors and panels, the Rubbermaid Deluxe Paneled Carts feature ergonomic handles which help reduce worker strain, making it comfortable to use and easy to maneuver. Flexibility is built-in with RCP’s high quality nylon bags or optional Triple Waste Bag Holders that allow segregation of waste and recycling. And because it’s Rubbermaid, the carts’ all plastic and aluminum construction make it easy to clean as well as chemical- and salt-water resistant. ...

ATLANTA—Georgia-Pacific Food Services Solutions announces the latest addition to its product line of Dixie Insulair insulated paper cups—the new Interlude design. The new look of Interlude combines vibrant musical accents and warm red and gold hues to complement the performance of triple-wall layering that keeps beverages hot. “The new Interlude design is created to provide operators with a product that matches the experience demanded by today’s consumers,” said Chuck Knudsen, senior Hot Cup category marketing manager, Georgia-Pacific Food Services Solutions. “Our goal is to continually provide operators with single-use products that perform at a very high level in functionality and...

SEATTLE—After eating an evening meal of fish and chips, tourists in Juneau who retire for the night at the Westmark Baranof Hotel may find themselves warming their toes in a room partially heated by the oil used to cook their food. The Baranof collects the town’s used vegetable oil to help heat the hotel. Environmental benefits from using vegetable oil include releasing fewer pollutants into the air, recycling of carbon already in the system and a reduction in carbon output. In addition, businesses in Juneau have found a reliable way to dispose of unwanted cooking oil without running afoul...

NATIONAL REPORT—Discarded mattresses can take up a significant amount of landfill space, do not degrade well, and can create a dangerous “soft spot” in a landfill, according to Terry McDonald, executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (SVDP), located in Eugene, Oregon. That’s why SVDP created its DR3 mattress recycling program. DR3 stands for “divert, reduce, reuse, recycle.” The program’s centerpiece is a 26,000-square-foot mattress recycling facility in Oakland, Calif., that serves Alameda and San Francisco counties and seven surrounding counties. If SVDP is in Oregon, why did it set up a recycling program in...