OGUNQUIT, MAINE—The Meadowmere Resort here on the southern coast of Maine is demonstrating that a small resort can thrive while continuously reducing its environmental impact. The 144-room property, owned by the Cavaretta family, is operated with the belief that ecological and economic sustainability go hand in hand. Open year-round, not always a given in the Pine Tree State, the resort is an active member of Maine’s Green Lodging Certification program. The program, which is run by Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection, first certified the property as an Environmental Leader in 2006. It has since been recertified and has tripled...

HONOLULU—Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has recently been awarded the 2008 Energy Star seal of approval by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the fourth time in the past five years. Rated for its energy consumption on a scale from one to 100, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa scored 81 for its performance, the highest rating it has ever achieved. “We are honored to receive the distinguished Energy Star designation once again,” said Chris Tatum, general manager of Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. “We are pleased to share...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Prestwick Limited as a Green Product & Service Directory Partner. Prestwick Limited manufactures earth-friendly furnishings for the hospitality industry. The company’s outdoor furnishing solutions include Towel Valets, Towel Returns, Recycle Stations, Waste Enclosures, Beverage Solutions, Bellman’s Valets, Planter Boxes, Seating, Storage Boxes and Signage. Prestwick Limited’s products are available in Teak, Ipe and Forever•nu, the purest grade of recycled plastic. The source for the plastic is recycled milk jugs. The company offers numerous collections including Great Lakes, Highlands, Keystone-EL, and Sedona. Prestwick’s collections are available in...

NATIONAL REPORT—For those who specify and/or purchase fabric for items such as furniture and draperies, options that include recycled content have been around for a long time. Over the last year, however, fabric suppliers have increased the number of “green” options they offer. Today, it is easy to find polyester fabric made from yarn derived from recycled plastic bottles. Sustainable fabric made from natural fibers is also quite common. While the price point for some sustainable fabrics can be higher, some vendors are able to offer sustainable lines at the same price as traditional fabrics because of the high...

LEXINGTON, KY.—The 2008 National Tour Assn. (NTA) Annual Convention, held in November in Pittsburgh, set a record for the amount of materials that were recycled from a single show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The center is the first and largest certified green convention center in the world. Officials at the convention center reported that everyone who attended the NTA Convention helped to recycle 9.435 tons of material. The figure includes nearly 3.465 tons of composted materials, three tons of cardboard and 2.97 tons of bottles, cans and loose paper. Additionally, 123,500 gallons of water was reclaimed....

TRINITY, N.C.—Sealy Global Hospitality, one of the world’s leading hospitality mattress manufacturers, has created a new line of Sealy Posturepedic sleep systems with convertible pillowtops. They were created specifically for hospitality environments looking to balance the demand from customers for greener practices without compromising cost or comfort. While conventional pillowtops cannot be detatched from mattresses, the innovative reversible pillowtop on the Sealy Posturepedic Convertible Collection mattress has been engineered to be easily removed, rotated or replaced by a single person using VELCRO brand fasteners, which adhere the pillowtop to the mattress’ core. Rotating and inverting the pillowtop allows for four...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in downtown Chicago launched an extensive recycling program and energy conservation program entitled, “When not in use, turn off the juice,” one year ago. A unique effort to compost biodegradable food material has been introduced, and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place bottles its own water at its restaurant, Shor, as well. The hotel’s green program has garnered successful results with the participation of both its entire staff and guests. In the past year, 76 tons of material (equaling 300 cubic yards) has been recycled, approximately 1,500 trees have been saved, and more than three tons of...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—LSI Wallcovering announced it will pick up freight costs to bring used vinyl wallcovering back to its Second-Look Recycling Center in New Castle, Ind. The Louisville, Ky.-based wallcovering manufacturer made the move to ensure that rising fuel costs don’t discourage specifiers from recycling wallcovering. Second-Look accepts all makes of vinyl wallcovering and covers freight from any location in the continental United States and Canada. Second-Look is the first program to recycle post-consumer vinyl wallcovering and has diverted hundreds of thousands of pounds from the landfill since it began operations in 2005. Effective immediately, the free freight program is available...

SAN FRANCISCO—Toward the end of the movie “E.T.: The Extraterrestial,” E.T. tells the young boy Elliott to “be good.” Guests waking up at the Good Hotel in San Francisco’s SoMa (South of Market) district are getting the same message just about everywhere they turn at the recently opened 117-room boutique property. On one of the walls in each guestroom, the words “begood” are painted in white and yellow. On the ceiling, in glowing letters, the words “good night” are visible. The Good Hotel is one of the latest unique innovations of Joie de Vivre, which operates California’s largest collection...

STANDISH, MAINE—PRC Technologies, a division of Print Recovery Concepts Inc., announced that it is offering the first laser printer cartridges that use toner powder derived from soybeans. PRC reports they will supply cartridges for the most popular laser printers under the SoyPrint brand at prices comparable to brand name versions currently available. Soy ink has been available for some time but this is the first soy toner cartridge for laser printers. Debe Overhaug, president of Print Recovery Concepts, reports a printer cartridge contains one pound of toner powder and that U.S. businesses, schools, institutions and governments consume more than 100...