CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added its first case study to its new Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston and how it successfully implemented Excel Dryer’s XLERATOR hand dryer. After receiving a recommendation from the deputy director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, John Donahue, building superintendent, selected the Excel XLERATOR. It is designed with a high-velocity air stream that blows off excess water droplets and rapidly evaporates the remaining layer of moisture. XLERATOR dries hands in 10 to 15 seconds, three times faster than traditional...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels’ commitment to protecting the environment is nothing new. For more than 15 years, Fairmont’s participation in comprehensive recycling and environmental protection programs has demonstrated its goal to minimize its impact on the planet. And the results have been tangible. But the effort goes beyond the expected. Each of the hotels within the Fairmont collection is making a difference in often unique and unheard of ways. If there’s one thing a luxury hotel offers its guests, it’s fine wine and delectable cuisine. But what to do with all those pesky wine corks and leftover food looms large. Individual...

ROCKLAND, ME.—Quietly, yet tenaciously, the Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine are working hard to reduce their environmental impact. All three have been certified by the State of Maine as Hospitality Environmental Leaders, making them the first known B&B association in New England totally dedicated to sustainable eco-tourism. Beginning on October 3, in recognition of National Change a Lightbulb Day, the inns will offer an Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) to each guest. With each bulb, more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions will be saved from entering the atmosphere. “If just 100 guests change their lightbulbs with...

ATLANTA—IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) midscale extended-stay hotel brand, Candlewood Suites, diverted nearly 260 tons of material from landfills during bedding renovations at 55 hotels this summer. Candlewood Suites worked in partnership with the National Furniture Bank Assn. (NFBA) to repurpose the box springs and linens to benefit approximately 4,300 families across the U.S. An additional benefit of the reuse program was a cumulative savings of more than $100,000 in disposal fees. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, during the past 35 years the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.4 pounds per...

BOULDER, COLO.—If you would like to learn about the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites’ zero waste program, I suggest checking with the property’s Ambassador of Cool (owner Dan King)—or maybe its Green Goddess (environmental champion Diane Schevene). Believe it or not, those are the titles the two have given themselves. Both have worked hard to push the property toward zero waste. Is zero waste possible in a hotel that has a full-service restaurant, 3,800 square feet of meeting space and 162 guestrooms? It is if one considers only the waste generated by staff. Because the hotel cannot control what guests...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—As part of Neenah Paper’s expanded offering of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified papers, two colors in the mill’s flagship Classic brands are now available as FSC-certified: Recycled Bright White and Recycled Natural White. Neenah is the world’s first mill to watermark the FSC symbol and Chain of Custody into its papers, completing the chain of custody for anyone using them. Neenah has also introduced 100 percent post consumer whites in the four finishes of the Classic Brands (and in Environment Papers). The FSC is an international nonprofit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Retailers and electronics manufacturers voluntarily recycled more than 34 million pounds of electronics in 2006 as part of their commitment to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Plug-In To eCycling program. The program is a voluntary partnership between EPA and electronics manufacturers and retailers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics. Since 2003, Plug-In partners have recycled more than 95 million pounds of electronics. “Our Plug-In partners have energized the industry to give consumers practical alternatives for recycling their used electronics,” says Scott Sherman, EPA’s associate assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and...

NATIONAL REPORT—If the growth of the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC) is any indication of the current level of interest in sustainable furniture manufacturing, you can expect to read a lot more about this trend in the coming months. The Council, which was incorporated in March, already has 100 members. While the majority of all furniture purchased for lodging in the United States is not sustainable, that appears to be changing—albeit slowly. What exactly is sustainable furniture? It most certainly is not furniture that is made with illegally sourced wood, petroleum-based foams, fabrics and other materials, and finishes and glues that...

THORNTON, COLO.—EarthFriendlyEnergy.us (EFE), founded to create synergies between human and environmental need, announced that it has begun offering comprehensive energy efficient lighting solutions as well as free bulb recycling services. Based outside of Denver, CO, EFE services are available nationwide. Lighting typically accounts for anywhere between 15 to 40 percent of energy use in a building. Replacing traditional bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs) can result in substantial financial savings, especially in the face of rising energy costs, and helps to protect the environment. CFLs are compatible with standard sockets but use 65 percent to 75 percent less energy than traditional...

WINCHESTER, VA.—Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) announces its “Smarter Recycling” solution: The Glutton Recycling Station. It combines the trusted Glutton and Slim Jim strength and durability into a high-capacity station that can separate up to four waste streams for more efficient recycling. “Supporting our customers’ recycling efforts while working to help reduce their waste disposal and labor costs is our priority for the Glutton Recycling Station,” says Victoria Ciupak, product manager for Rubbermaid Commercial Products. “For a recycling collection to be successful, the receptacles have to be as easy to maintain as they are to use. And with Rubbermaid Commercial...