When the Miami Hurricanes football team plays, they wear uniforms made from 70 percent regenerated ECONYL yarn, which is made from fishing nets and other nylon waste found in the ocean. The special attire comes courtesy of Adidas and Parley For The Oceans, an organization focused on addressing major threats to the ocean. Also, when Manchester United plays, its “third kit” uniforms—for games where the regular home or away uniforms are unsuitable due to color clashes with the opposition’s outfits—are made from the same material. Back in 2008, Green Lodging News ran an article about Wyndham Hotels and Resorts committing...

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) and the IHG Owners Association have launched the Renovation Donation Initiative, an industry-leading reuse program that is part of a shared commitment to operating responsibly. IHG-branded hotels undergoing renovation or property improvements in the United States and Canada will be able to donate furniture, fixtures and equipment to nonprofit organizations, including United Way Worldwide and Good360. The Renovation Donation Initiative will reduce the amount of materials reaching landfills, and support the important work these nonprofit organizations do in local communities, including workforce development and hospitality skills training programs. This effort is part of IHG’s new program...

FORT WASHINGTON, PENN.—Nearly three in five Americans (57 percent) believe paper towel dispensers in public restrooms usually waste more product than necessary, according to a recent survey commissioned by Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use. The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll from August 17 to 23, 2018 among 2,038 U.S. adults ages 18 and older and also revealed how many Americans admit to using more paper towels than necessary. “The overuse of paper towels is a common occurrence in public restrooms today, as many dispensers aren’t designed to curb waste,” said...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Beginning earlier this month, all food-permitted businesses had to begin complying with Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO). The URO requires convenient access for employees to divert discarded organic material, such as food scraps or soiled paper products, from landfills. Options include donating extra food to feed people (preferred), sending food scraps to local animal farms or ranches, and developing customized solutions and composting, either on-site or with a private organic collection provider. The ordinance also requires that business owners/managers provide regular education for employees, post informational signage and submit an online Organic Diversion Plan at austintexas.gov/bizorganics annually. According to the...

MALOLO ISLAND, FIJI—The annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) has announced the winners for the HICAP 2018 Sustainable Hotel Awards and Six Senses Fiji has taken the title in the Climate Action Category. The awards are designed to recognize hotels in the Asia Pacific region, creating innovative new methods, strategies and technologies to face today’s sustainable development challenge, while providing tangible examples of sustainable best practices that can be replicated and adapted across the region. For climate efforts, Six Senses Fiji is honored to have been awarded top spot for a range of initiatives that are practiced within the resort....

PHILADELPHIA—Hersha Hotels and Resorts announced that EarthView, their corporate social responsibility platform, will be providing support to the Waterboys program—the hallmark initiative of the Chris Long Foundation. Hersha will donate $1 from the sale of each EarthView water bottle that is purchased at their hotels towards the funding of wells in East Africa. Launched in 2015 by Philadelphia Eagles’ Chris Long, Waterboys unites NFL players from across the league in service. The charity provides underserved rural communities in emerging economies with clean, safe and sustainable water per well by drilling wells serving up to 7,500 people at a cost of...

BENSENVILLE, Ill.—World Dryer, a leading global manufacturer of hand dryers, will showcase its portfolio of state-of-the-art energy-efficient hand dryers in Booth 2136 at ISSA Show North America 2018. Held from October 29 to November 1 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, the ISSA show brings together all segments of the professional cleaning industry, including building operations managers, facility directors and engineers, in-house cleaning professionals and more. World Dryer’s ongoing mission is to lead the industry in meeting every functional consideration that goes into a well-planned restroom environment with high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers designed to fit the needs of...

LOS ANGELES—The Plastic Pollution Coalition has published a new engineering estimate showing plummeting recycling rates for plastic in United States. Author Jan Dell, a chemical engineer, used U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data and industry data to estimate the U.S. plastic recycling rate will sink from 9.1 percent in 2015 to 4.4 percent in 2018. Dell estimated the recycling rate could drop as low as 2.9 percent in 2019 if plastic waste import bans are adopted by more countries in Asia. The engineering estimate shows four factors contributing to the drop in recycling rates: 1. Plastic waste generation is increasing in...

In early 2012, the hotel renovation industry began its recovery, led by construction booms in major cities and rising occupancy rates at hotels across the nation. In the years since, thousands of hotel rooms, lobbies and restaurants have been renovated with gleaming bathroom fixtures, fresh carpeting and plush pillow-top mattresses. When hotels redecorate or upgrade they replace older furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) with new items. So, you may ask, what does a hotel undergoing a renovation do with 200 bedding sets and televisions? Or 450 mattresses? Or 250 sofas and chairs. Or two truckloads of mini-fridges? Thankfully, more and more hotels are...

KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-design LED lighting, site furniture, and accessories introduces the Harvest line, a collaboration with Duluth, Minn.-based Loll Designs. “We take our design partnerships seriously,” says Landscape Forms President Richard Heriford. “A collaboration like this allows us to bring new solutions to our clients and expose us to new opportunities.” The standing- or dining-height table comes in four vibrant colors. The dining-height table is offered with matching bench seating. Table and bench top surfaces are made of 100 percent post-consumer plastic—primarily from recycled milk cartons—for a long, low-maintenance life. The metal legs...