ARLINGTON, VA.—The 2006 WasteWise and NPEP (National Partnership for Environmental Priorities) Annual Conference, with the theme “Partnering for Success in Sustainability,” will be held October 19 to 20 in Arlington, Va. The two-day conference, at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, will cover topics such as waste reduction, the climate/waste link and the reduction of Priority Chemicals. Contact Jeff Tumarkin or go to WasteWise for more information.

Waste management is entrenched as the least exciting aspect of the lodging industry. Aside from the obvious unpleasantness, waste disposal is a comparatively small expense and is often thought of as, “out of sight, out of mind.” Even so, the nascent green lodging movement has taken trash and recycling from the loading dock and parking lot and into the executive offices. There, the movement has quickly established itself as a viable way to control costs, enhance guest satisfaction and improve occupancy. While the economic benefits of going green are straightforward, the difficulty in executing a green lodging waste initiative boils...

NATIONAL REPORT—Ten billion. That is the estimated number of shower amenity packaging pieces that are thrown away annually by the world’s hotels. Thanks to efforts by dispenser vendors and participating hotels, however, those mountains of shampoo bottles are getting just a little bit smaller. Especially in four- and five-diamond hotels, resistance to using dispensers has been great. “Franchisors oftentimes don’t consider them as safe, secure and attractive,” says Ray Burger, president of Saint Charles, Mo.-based Pineapple Hospitality, a seller of amenity dispensers. Dispensers are becoming more common in three-star and lower properties. The perception has been that guests love to take home...

BROADVIEW, ILL.—Air Cycle Corp. introduces its EasyPak line of products to provide a simple way to recycle lamps, ballasts, and batteries, while complying with today’s changing regulations. Each container includes instructions printed in English and Spanish and one price includes shipping costs to the recycling center, recycling fees, and a certificate of recycling. The lamp boxes can hold straight fluorescent lamps up to 8 feet in length, u-shape fluorescent lamps, or high intensity discharge lamps. The battery container holds up to 55 pounds of dry cell batteries and the ballast container up to 55 pounds of non-PCB containing...

PHILADELPHIA—Aramark, the authorized concessionaire in several national parks, recently announced that the company, with the aid of national hotel supplier Green Suites International, has prevented more than five million amenity packages from entering landfills near several national park sites. Traditional one-ounce bottles of shampoo, lotions and soap bars have been replaced with an amenity dispenser program, created by Upland, Calif.-based Green Suites. The program provides a sanitary, safe and cost-effective way to preserve the environment while pleasing hotel guests with an unlimited amount of natural, high quality personal care products. “Its been the right thing to do...

NATIONAL REPORT—The next time you think about throwing away a fluorescent lamp, think twice. Fluorescents contain a small amount of hazardous material—mercury. In fact, it is the mercury that conducts the charge that produces light. When disposed of improperly, the mercury can cause great harm to not only the environment, but to every link in the food chain—humans included. As of November 2004, according to a report released by the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, 70 percent of the mercury lamps used by businesses were not being recycled. Throughout the United States, regulations vary on proper disposal of fluorescent...

NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO—The Commercial Division of Moen Inc. introduces its new Heavy-Duty Two-Handle Commercial Faucet Series. The ADA-compliant products include center set and widespread lavatory faucets, bar and pantry faucets, a kitchen faucet and a vandal-proof shower head with an adjustable spray angle. “The creation of this series was based on extensive field research conducted with decision makers and facility managers from around the country,” says Allen Talley, Moen’s director of commercial marketing and product development. “This heavy-duty series was made to be responsive to real-world scenarios in a variety of public spaces and applications. For example, to...

MIAMI—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has added the Four Seasons Hotel Miami to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The voluntary state initiative provides the lodging industry with technical assistance, encouraging hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving green practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. “Green lodges take the initiative to conserve resources and protect the environment,” says DEP Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “By adopting innovative green practices, Florida’s environmentally sensitive lands are preserved for future generations.” The Four Seasons Hotel Miami reduces water consumption by using technologically advanced showerheads, faucets, spray nozzles and toilets....

BROADVIEW, ILL.—Air Cycle Corp. introduces its Premium Bulb Eater. It not only crushes fluorescent lamps of any length into 100 percent recyclable material, but also captures more than 99.99 percent of the vapors released. The system, which is mounted to a 55-gallon container, can hold up to 1,350 four-foot fluorescent lamps. The Bulb Eater reduces storage space, minimizes handling of lamps, and typically cuts recycling costs. Nationwide recycling services are available for lamps, ballasts, batteries and computer waste. Go to Air Cycle Corp. to view a video demonstration.

SAN FRANCISCO—From the hotel’s subterranean compactor, to the sun-kissed vineyards of Napa and Sonoma, to the elegant tables of the hotel’s lounges, the San Francisco Marriott is helping complete the recycling loop by offering a one-of-a-kind “trashy” wine list in its View Lounge and Atrium Bar. The San Francisco Marriott initiated its award-winning compost program in 2003 and currently collects and compacts over a half-million pounds of its food scraps a year, enough to fill the lobby from floor to ceiling. The San Francisco Marriott and local recycler Golden Gate Disposal see food scraps as a resource, a...