MIAMI BEACH, FLA.—Vero Water, a leading provider of luxury still and sparkling water to the hospitality industry, announced its rapid expansion in the Caribbean and Latin America in partnership with OneLink Global, a world-class distribution and service partner with unique experience and insight in the region. OneLink is committed to providing sustainable solutions to the hospitality industry. The exclusive distribution agreement expands Vero’s global footprint into regions where hotels and resorts dominate the landscape and are seeking an eco-friendly alternative to traditional bottled water. “Recently major players in the hospitality industry both in the U.S. and abroad have announced they...

“I cannot control the world, but I can control my world.” That’s what Christian de Boer told me in a recent conversation. Our world needs more like him. Originally from The Netherlands, Christian is now Managing Director of Jaya House River Park, a 36-room hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Those who know their history know that Cambodia was a terrible place to be in the 1970s. Cambodia remains one of the poorest, least developed countries in Asia, but life is getting better Christian told me. “I have been in the country 11 years,” he said. “The changes have been unbelievable.” With...

PHILADELPHIA—Aramark, a global leader in food, facilities management and uniforms, announced a commitment to significantly reduce single-use disposable plastics, across its global food service operations, by 2022. Single-use plastic items include straws, stirrers, bags, cutlery and various packaging materials. Aramark will implement actions across the 19 countries where it serves 2 billion meals annually in schools and workplaces, sports and leisure venues, hospitals and other locations. Every year, more than 8 million tons of plastics are leaked into the world’s oceans. According to a recent Aramark consumer survey, the majority (60 percent) of respondents are concerned with the overuse of...

BOSTON—RecyclingWorks MA just released a video and a case study about the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel (WBW) waste management program. The video featured WBW’s Anthony Dinatale (Director of Engineering) and Ashley Dilieto (Engineering Coordinator and Chair of the Sustainability Committee), and Waste Management’s Scott Peters (Major Account Manager). WBW has a comprehensive single-stream recycling program with containers throughout the property, including guestrooms. They train their staff by using e-mails, newsletters and signs; and at department meetings and the hotel’s Green Week and Earth Day activities. Sustainability Committee members take field trips to learn about new practices and technologies. The WBW food waste program has...

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—Early last year, Christian de Boer, Managing Director of Jaya House River Park, a 36-room hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, launched a campaign to get businesses throughout the region to offer refillable aluminum water bottles instead of disposable plastic ones. The campaign, called Refill Not Landfill, has already avoided the placement of 1.2 million plastic bottles into Cambodia’s waste stream. More than 40 members of Siem Reap’s hospitality and tourism industries and development sector have joined ReFill Not Landfill. Key to the success of the campaign is a sophisticated way to show bottle users where they can fill...

NATIONAL REPORT—Nearly 20 million mattresses and foundations find their way into landfills every year. When you consider the large size of a mattress, the fact that it doesn’t compact well, and that it’s likely to clog the compacting machinery, the importance of keeping mattresses out of landfills increases. You can make a difference by reading mattress labels, looking for certifications, and making smart purchasing decisions the next time you buy a mattress. Go ‘Green’ But Know What That Means It’s easy to get caught in the trap of seeing a label that says “green,” “organic,” or “all-natural” and buying without knowing...

Marriott joined a growing list of companies pledging to eliminate the use of disposable plastic straws this past week. Other companies that have promised the same: MGM Resorts International, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Delaware North, Meliá Hotels International, Iberostar Group, The Travel Corp., Scandic Hotels, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Sudima Hotels & Resorts, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, The Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels, and The Red Carnation Hotel Collection. In Marriott’s case they will also be eliminating plastic stirrers. The plastic straw initiative will take full effect at both managed and franchised properties by July 2019. Why will it take...

STEVENSON, WASH.—Skamania Lodge, A Destination Hotel, is helping lead the charge in food waste management and sustainability practices, as they recently released “Managing Food Waste: Best Practices,” a how-to iBook on food waste management. The book serves as a best practices guide for resorts, hotels and restaurants for how to implement changes that reduce waste, boost sustainability and—at the same time—help increase sales. “We’re incredibly proud of our team and what we’re doing here,” said General Manager Ken Daugherty. “We want to help others reduce food waste across the globe. This has been a long time in the making, but sustainability...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced that single-use plastic straws will only be served upon request at company operated restaurants in the United States. As one of the world’s top five largest non-chain restaurant operators in the world, MGM Resorts and its employees understand their responsibility in protecting the planet and helping reduce their carbon footprint. This initiative, which began rolling out in May 2018, aims to eventually remove more than 250,000 straws a day from landfills and waterways—that’s 100 million straws each year. “MGM is one of the largest multi-concept restaurant operators in the world,” said Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice...

BROCKTON, MASS.—The Food Freshness Card won at the 2018 United Fresh Show with the new Industrial Size. “We are thrilled and honored to have received this award voted on by the industry professionals and attendees for a second consecutive year,” said Rick Hassler, Director of Natures Natural Solutions, developer of the Food Freshness Card. “This award, which comes at the same time as the award the Food Freshness Card received from Food Logistics for Top Green Provider 2018, makes us humbly proud, and more determined than ever to expand in the food industry and cut the global problem of $400...