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...

SAN DIEGO— The Green Restaurant Association’s goal is to create an environmentally sustainable restaurant industry; now, this industry is not only cleaning up its own act, it has the opportunity to become a supplier of fuel to the United States. How? The Green Restaurant Assn. is partnering with New Leaf Biofuel, LLC, which has just begun collecting waste grease from restaurants in San Diego and plans to produce 3 million gallons of biodiesel each year. “The Green Restaurant Association’s goal is to turn every restaurant in the United States into an environmentally safe source of fuel for America,” says Michael...

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA—The Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town became home to thousands of hungry new guests last month with the establishment of an on-site worm farm, or vermiculture, to process leftover food and other organic matter. As well as being a novel new way to dispose of waste, the end-product, called vermicast, is rich in nutrients and will be used by the gardening team as a fertilizer and soil conditioner for the nine-acre garden. The Mount Nelson’s well fed worms are currently munching on 200 kilograms of scraps from the breakfast buffet and famous afternoon tea—20...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Hoteliers interested in launching a waste management program or energizing an existing one should consider participating in WasteWise, a free, voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Any U.S. hotel or hotel company is eligible to participate in the program that allows partners to design their own waste reduction programs tailored to their needs. Waste reduction makes good business sense because it can save an organization money through reduced purchasing and waste disposal costs. WasteWise provides free technical assistance to help develop, implement and measure waste reduction activities. WasteWise also offers publicity to organizations...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—The 233-room Pacific Palisades Hotel, a champion of recycling since it became a Kimpton property seven years ago, has increased its recycling efforts to include used batteries, light bulbs, fluorescent lamps and food waste. The initiative is part of the property’s plan to operate profitably while implementing sustainable practices. Linda Chin, hotel manager, says the hotel in Vancouver, B.C. has been recycling office paper, cardboard, newspaper, cans and bottles for seven years. Recycling containers throughout the property ensure that recyclables are kept separate from other waste. Recently, however, hotel management decided to increase the number of items...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—More environmentally friendly computer equipment will soon be available to large volume purchasers thanks to manufacturers like Dell, HP, and others that now have products that meet the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) standard. EPEAT-registered computer products have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health, and are easier to upgrade and recycle, in addition to meeting the government’s Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. “These new environmental standards can guide the manufacturing of green computers, laptops, and monitors,” says James Gulliford, assistant administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic...

NATIONAL REPORT—From an environmental benefit standpoint, there are few slam dunks like hand dryers. Used primarily in common areas like restrooms, hand dryers—when offered as the only hand drying option and not alongside paper towels—save trees, energy and money. Not all hand dryers are the same; some are more efficient than others. The bottom line, however, is that they eliminate the need to cut down trees to make paper*, the cost of buying the paper, the labor and disposal costs related to waste disposal, and promote a more hygienic environment. “Hand dryers have always been knows as...