You have probably seen the cartoons where there is a devil on one person’s shoulder and an angel on the other, with each tiny character trying to convince the person to do what it believes is right. Well, that scenario has been playing out with me this holiday season as I walk the aisles of my favorite electronics stores. The little devil on one side has been pushing me to buy a flat screen TV; the little angel (eco-angel, I guess) has been telling me to wait. Guys, I am sure you can relate to this. Ladies, maybe some...

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—There’s an “invasion” of little pink bags occurring in female restrooms across the United States as inventor-entrepreneur Ann Germanow launches SCENSIBLES, a specially designed single-use scented bag for the hygienic disposal of feminine care products. “The inspiration for SCENSIBLES came several years ago when I noticed signs in public restrooms that read: Do not flush tampons,” explained Germanow, co-founder and president of The Scensible Source Company, LLC. “The only option was discarding items in filthy, germ-contaminated stall waste bins which were unacceptable to me.” SCENSIBLES bags are designed with a contemporary pink on pink floral pattern, with a delicate scent...

ATLANTA—Ever wonder how energy- and environmentally conscious the hotel guests next door are? According to a recent survey, they are likely reusing their towels, turning off the lights when they leave and recycling, if given the chance. The nationwide survey of 701 people was conducted by A Closer Look, Inc., an Atlanta-based market research company focused on the hospitality industry. “Seventy-five percent of survey respondents said it is important to them that the hotel where they stay follows green practices, and those surveyed are more than willing to do their part,” says David McAleese, CEO of A Closer Look....

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its fourth case study to its new Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and how it has effectively tackled the challenge of safely disposing thousands of fluorescent lamps. The study details how the Las Vegas Convention Center uses Air Cycle Corp.’s Bulb Eater to safely crush and store the lamps. That is important because fluorescent lamps contain potentially harmful mercury. LVCVA now has two Bulb Eater machines at the Convention Center. This OSHA- and EPA-compliant device crushes more than 1,000 fluorescent lamps (amount...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its third case study to its new Vendor Case Studies section (click here to go to it). The case study focuses on the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites and its recent transition from traditional PVC plastic hotel keycards to Green-Key™ paperboard keycards. Green-Key™ is an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional plastic hotel keycard. Unlike plastic keycards, Green-Key™ is recyclable, biodegradable and produced from paperboard, a renewable resource. Its paperboard construction also makes it an economical choice by eliminating the cost barrier that many high priced eco-friendly products have. Green-Key™ was developed to address several...

TORONTO—As part of Fairmont’s Hotels & Resorts’ new commitment to organic, sustainable and local menus, measures are taken everyday at Fairmont hotels across the globe to also find creative ways to run an environmentally responsible kitchen. Going beyond simply purchasing sustainable food items, these efforts include recycling, and reusing and donating—all resulting in an overall impact that lessens the luxury brand’s footprint on the planet. Fairmont properties have long had partnerships in place that provide them with the freshest local ingredients, and many of these purveyors are as committed to sustainability as Fairmont. For example, Fairmont locations in the Pacific...

CHICAGO—In a presentation at Greenbuild earlier this month, Destiny USA founder and chairman Robert J. Congel introduced the initial design of a hotel and conference facility that will be the next phase of the Destiny USA project in Syracuse, New York. The hotel, which will feature more than 1,300 rooms, is being designed to LEED Platinum standards and will serve as a showcase for sustainability. “Five years ago, Destiny USA was still learning what it takes to build a living laboratory for environmental stewardship, renewable energy and innovation,” Congel said. “Fortunately, we were ahead of the curve. Today we are...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Ditto Hangers has introduced its new, intelligently designed solution to the unrecyclable hanger. These new products are manufactured from easily recyclable and more environmentally friendly materials, to keep hangers out of landfills. Designed using two of the most recycled materials, Ditto Hangers are made from 100 percent recycled paper and 100 percent recyclable PET plastic, the same plastic used to make water bottles. “We designed our hangers starting at the end of their useful life rather than from the beginning,” says Gary Barker, the company’s president and CEO. “That way we know they’ll have value on the secondary market,...

MIAMI—The Miami Airport Marriott recently donated more than $100,000 worth of furniture and household goods to benefit the Miami Rescue Mission and recycled more than 300 tons of building materials to help the environment. The upscale, 366-room hotel, which will undergo a major renovation next year, is part of a unique concept from Marriott, in which three different Marriott properties—the Miami Airport Marriott, the Courtyard by Marriott and a planned Residence Inn—are located together on one campus for business and leisure travelers. When the Fairfield Inn on the campus was demolished earlier this year to make room for the Residence...

Three wire stories caught my interest this week and they all had the same theme: compostable cups, plates and utensils. In the first article, a restaurant called the Grille Zone in Boston was featured. It composts all of the items described above. In fact, there are no trashcans in the eating area and the restaurant produces an average of just 15 pounds of waste per day. The restaurant does not even own a dumpster. In the second article, Hilton Garden Inn announced the introduction of the ecotainer, an environmentally friendly coffee cup, in more than 340 locations across North America....