KIRKLAND, WASH.—Noble House Hotels & Resorts—the family-owned boutique hotel brand with a carefully curated collection of 25 hotels, resorts, and experiences across North America—has partnered with Green Seal and applied for certification for 13 of its properties, continuing its sustainability efforts. Noble House Hotels & Resorts is deeply committed to protecting and sustaining the environment and all the communities connected to its hotels and resorts year-round. Working with Green Seal provides the hotel brand access to sustainable purchasing experts with a global reputation for excellence and the tools and guidance needed to adopt safer and more sustainable practices and products. Each...

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—Henkel published its 32nd Sustainability Report, outlining its performance and progress on implementing its sustainability strategy and targets. In a highly challenging market environment, the company was able, among other things, to drive progress in sustainability in many key dimensions, by further reducing its CO2-emissions and expanding its social engagement. “I cannot recall a year in the recent past in which the overall business environment was so challenging for our company. The war in Ukraine has deeply shaken us and has far-reaching consequences. It has shaped the economic environment, particularly the energy crisis and higher raw material prices. But...

KAUAI, HAWAII—1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, announces the opening of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, its flagship nature-and-wellness-focused island oasis overlooking a storied stretch of Kauai’s North Shore. Guests seeking solace and serenity at this sustainable sanctuary can swim, snorkel, bike, paddle, kayak, soak up the sun and surf off a legendary beach where Native Hawaiians lived in harmony with nature for generations and a laidback surf scene still thrives. The dramatic peaks of the Namolokama and Mamalahoa mountains loom over a verdant valley whose iconic waterfalls capture the breathtaking bounty and beauty of Hawaii’s famed “Garden Island.” “Hanalei Bay...

There has been a lot of talk about teeth in the Hasek household recently. My son just got his braces on (for the second time) and he just had his remaining three baby teeth removed in one dentist visit. At age 11, he still believes in the tooth fairy (I think) so he kind of hit the jackpot that night with his tooth fairy trifecta. I had teeth on my mind this past week thanks to the article I wrote about eco-friendlier toothbrushes. Most people, hoteliers included, don’t think much about the environmental impact of their toothbrushes, but it is...

NATIONAL REPORT—Travelers never always pack perfectly. Oftentimes that one thing that is forgotten is a toothbrush. There is a very good chance you will hand that guest a cheap single-use plastic toothbrush that will end up in the landfill where it will leak toxic substances into the environment as it breaks down. According to National Geographic, toothbrush waste from the U.S. in just one year is enough to wrap around the earth four times. If Americans change their toothbrushes every three or four months, that is one billion toothbrushes on their way to the landfill or elsewhere, including our...

I recently had an opportunity to visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) in Atlanta. It is the home of the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United Football Club (soccer). I went on a tour of the stadium and was very impressed by the steps the owners of the building are taking to minimize its environmental impact. In fact, the stadium was just certified to TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum for its zero waste efforts in January. MBS is the first professional sports stadium worldwide to achieve TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste. Ninety percent of the waste from the...

GREER, S.C.—LifeMade Products LLC (LifeMade), an operating company of Jadex Inc., announced that the company’s LifeMade Compostable Straws have received OK compost HOME certification from TÜV Austria. This achievement is in addition to the product’s BPI Commercially Compostable certification previously received. TÜV Austria OK compost HOME certification provides assurance to consumers that LifeMade Compostable Straws will compost safely in any home compost heap. Made in the USA, LifeMade Compostable Straws are available in Jumbo size and packaged for most foodservice operations, having a diameter of 0.25” and a length of 8”. The straws are individually wrapped and available in case...

HALLANDALE, FLA.—In support of its Care About Earth program, Groupe GM, a leading player in the hotel amenity industry, is relaunching its Occean hotel line, with an emphasis on sustainability. Based on active marine principles, Occean is a line of cosmetic products rich in toning and vitalizing accents offered by the ocean. Its certified vegan formulas contain up to 98 percent of natural ingredients. Abundant in marine oligo-elements and marine algae Laminaria Digitata, the line creates a feeling of well-being thanks to the freshness drawn from its properties. The new Occean product range will provide consumers with a refreshing and rejuvenating experience, combined with a...

I love allocating space in Green Lodging News for properties assisting animals in one way or another. Search on “dogs” on Green Lodging News and you will find a few examples. (Read about the Bow Wow Luau held at the Aloft Orlando Downtown here.) I recently learned that Mount Airy Casino Resort, Pennsylvania’s first AAA Four-Diamond casino resort, is helping neglected and abused animals from the region feel a bit more comfy-cozy by donating truckloads of its finest Egyptian cotton to a local animal shelter. Camp Papillon, a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter in Stroudsburg, Pa., has dozens of rescue dogs in need of comfort...

GÖTEBERG, SWEDEN—PA Consulting (PA), the consultancy that’s bringing ingenuity to life, and PulPac, the Swedish R&D and IP company behind the proprietary production process of Dry Molded Fiber, have launched the Bottle Collective. The Collective will create a fiber bottle alternative to help minimize the use of single-use plastic bottles in food, drink, consumer health and FMCG industries. The Bottle Collective is committed to industrializing a recyclable, high-speed, low-cost Dry Molded Fiber bottle process. This technology will be a viable alternative to single-use and commodity plastic bottles and applicable for multiple products and categories. PA’s mechanical engineering, design, automation, and material sciences...