Several years ago, my family purchased an air fryer. We have since used it many times—for anything we would typically fry using cooking oil, and even for baking. It is a “set it and forget it” machine until the food is ready. We have significantly reduced our use of cooking oil and are eating healthier as a result. I know life in a commercial kitchen is not as easy and that is why I wrote this past week how one company is helping hoteliers and restaurateurs manage their cooking oil—from purchase to recycling. There are many companies that provide...

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MINN.—Almost 270 million pounds of cooking oil is difficult to comprehend but that is the amount taken out of the waste stream in 2021 by Restaurant Technologies, Inc. (RT). RT is one example of a company that has automated the cooking oil-management business while also closing the loop on it. Restaurants and other food and beverage operations manage their cooking oil in different ways. In one typical scenario, according to Diana Geseking, General Counsel and Secretary for RT, a restaurant will purchase jugs of oil from an oil producer. These jugs, also known as JIBs (jug-in-box) are sometimes...

With just 10 days to go, I have not heard from many properties regarding their April 22 Earth Day activities. As published on Green Lodging News on April 5, 1 Hotels is celebrating Earth Month with a series of brand and property offerings that honor the beauty of the natural world, promote environmental unity, and encourage individuals to take small steps towards sustainability. For the month of April, all eight carbon-neutral properties in North America have launched activities and initiatives that promote a more collective effort towards protecting our planet. In one example, in partnership with a local vendor...

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS—Encina Development Group, a producer of ISCC+ circular chemicals from end-of-life plastics, announced a new recycling partnership with Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a global flooring manufacturer. Under the agreement, Shaw will provide Encina with more than 2 million pounds of waste materials from its carpet manufacturing processes annually. This effort will reduce Shaw’s greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint while contributing to its long-standing sustainability commitment, which encompasses its Cradle-to-Cradle design programs that have been in place for more than 20 years. Nearly 90 percent of the products Shaw produces are Cradle to Cradle Certified, meaning they have been...

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.—Room & Board and Room & Board Business Interiors, the home furnishing brand’s commercial arm, announce the expansion of the Urban Wood Project—their groundbreaking national initiative that sources wood otherwise destined for landfills and reclaims it into unique furnishings. The brand is now partnering with Brooklyn-based millwork and design operation, Tri-Lox, to upcycle wood culled from decommissioned New York City water towers and salvaged local trees for an exclusive line of sustainable offerings suitable for hospitality and office spaces. This collaboration, their sixth in the country, builds on Room & Board’s diversion of 200 trees annually from the waste stream, delivering on...

At least several companies offer their own version of a wash and dry station for a public restroom. It is a great idea to dispense soap, wash one’s hands, move them over a bit and then dry them in one motion. Saniflow Corp. posted an article earlier this year entitled, “Wash and Dry Stations: What are they and why are they the best method for hand hygiene?” The article does a great job explaining what these stations are, the benefits they provide, and where it is best to install a washing and drying station. Below is a slimmed down...

MIAMI—1 Hotels, the luxury lifestyle hotel brand that cultivates the best of sustainable design and architecture, together with extraordinary comfort and an unrivaled level of service, will celebrate Earth Month with a series of brand and property offerings that honor the beauty of the natural world, promote environmental unity and encourage individuals to take small steps towards sustainability. For the month of April, all eight carbon-neutral properties in North America will launch activities and initiatives that promote a more collective effort towards protecting our planet. As a mission driven brand, 1 Hotels aims to serve as a platform for change....

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA—JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands, announced the opening of JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, marking the company’s highly anticipated debut in the luxury safari segment. Sitting within the Masai Mara National Reserve in Southwestern Kenya, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife and wilderness conservation regions, the lodge is a sophisticated sanctuary from which to discover animals and vistas in harmony. Guided game drives offer guests the opportunity to observe the “Big Five” that Masai Mara is home to, including lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceros, and elephants. Between June and September,...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Electrolux Group has reduced its absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions (direct and indirect in operations) by 82 percent compared to 2015—going beyond its 2025 target of 80 percent. Scope 3 emissions (when products are in use) also decreased by over 25 percent compared to 2015, which is in line with the company’s 25 percent reduction target by 2025. This means the company has reached its 2025 science-based target three years ahead of plan. “We were among the first 100 companies to set a global ambitious climate target—and now we are among the very first companies to...

DUBUQUE, IOWA—Innovative Ink Publishing, an imprint of Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, has released Sustainable Hospitality, written by green hospitality industry expert Dan Ruben. The textbook provides hospitality professionals and students with the knowledge and resources to make their properties environmentally sustainable. “The target audience is hospitality professionals who work for hotels, cruise ships, and other hospitality sectors, as well as hospitality students,” Ruben says. “Managers of senior living facilities, dormitories, and other lodging facilities will benefit from this book, too. Sustainable Hospitality offers a roadmap to a leaner operation—one where less energy and water are consumed, and where less waste is generated....