LOS ANGELES—The Plastic Pollution Coalition has published a new engineering estimate showing plummeting recycling rates for plastic in United States. Author Jan Dell, a chemical engineer, used U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data and industry data to estimate the U.S. plastic recycling rate will sink from 9.1 percent in 2015 to 4.4 percent in 2018. Dell estimated the recycling rate could drop as low as 2.9 percent in 2019 if plastic waste import bans are adopted by more countries in Asia. The engineering estimate shows four factors contributing to the drop in recycling rates: 1. Plastic waste generation is increasing in...

In early 2012, the hotel renovation industry began its recovery, led by construction booms in major cities and rising occupancy rates at hotels across the nation. In the years since, thousands of hotel rooms, lobbies and restaurants have been renovated with gleaming bathroom fixtures, fresh carpeting and plush pillow-top mattresses. When hotels redecorate or upgrade they replace older furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) with new items. So, you may ask, what does a hotel undergoing a renovation do with 200 bedding sets and televisions? Or 450 mattresses? Or 250 sofas and chairs. Or two truckloads of mini-fridges? Thankfully, more and more hotels are...

KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-design LED lighting, site furniture, and accessories introduces the Harvest line, a collaboration with Duluth, Minn.-based Loll Designs. “We take our design partnerships seriously,” says Landscape Forms President Richard Heriford. “A collaboration like this allows us to bring new solutions to our clients and expose us to new opportunities.” The standing- or dining-height table comes in four vibrant colors. The dining-height table is offered with matching bench seating. Table and bench top surfaces are made of 100 percent post-consumer plastic—primarily from recycled milk cartons—for a long, low-maintenance life. The metal legs...

SYOSSET, N.Y.—The mission of mainstreaming sustainability has taken another step forward as Emerald Brand and Royal Waste Services have announced a partnership which will help their clients achieve a zero-waste solution. This program includes Emerald’s compostable materials, such as towel, tissue, packaging materials and food service items to commercial composting facilities where Royal Waste Services provides the hauling of that compost matter to an organic farm, providing clients with a full circle sustainable solution. This process diverts organic material from landfills and further increases environmental savings. The philosophy of these innovative organizations aligns as their mission is to educate...

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced that it will remove plastic straws from its global estate by the end of 2019, representing more than 5,400 hotels in nearly 100 countries. Plastic straws have already been removed from nearly 1,000 hotels in its Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa (EMEAA) region and it is introducing bulk-size bathroom amenities to several hotel brands in the Americas, as part of broader efforts to reduce waste. Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, commented: “IHG is in almost 100 countries and we touch the lives of millions of people each day. This gives us a responsibility to protect...

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA—On the first day of Pollution Prevention Week, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) announced that all 19 Sandals and Beaches Resorts across seven Caribbean islands—including Jamaica, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Barbados and Turks & Caicos—will eliminate the 21,490,800 single-use plastic straws and stirrers used across the resorts each year by November 1, 2018. Eco-friendly paper straws will be available upon request. “Love is at the crux of all Sandals Resorts, and this love extends to the oceans and communities around them,” said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. “We care deeply about our commitment to...

NATIONAL REPORT—As many activist groups continue to condemn the use and production of leather for ethical, environmental and worker health reasons, this byproduct of meat production is commonly found in the hotel industry. “It is used anywhere where people use wood—tabletops, floors, headboards, restaurant walls, some ceilings as well,” says Christian Nadeau, President of EcoDomo LLC. “It is primarily used for upholstery in hospitality. It is not only used in luxury hotels. Adding a touch of leather adds elegance to a product.” Increasingly, companies serving the hotel industry have been promoting their leather as a green product. How can that be?...

DALTON, GA.—The Home Depot  honored Shaw Industries with its Environmental Partner of the Year Award at its annual supplier partnership meeting on October 2. “The spaces where we live, work, play, learn and heal have a huge impact on our lives,” said Susan Farris, Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Communications at Shaw Industries. “That’s why we’re committed to using safe ingredients and designing sustainable products. Our commitment to Cradle to Cradle design principles for the past 20 years is evidence of that.” Today, almost 90 percent of the products Shaw manufactures are Cradle to Cradle Certified, a robust third-party certification...

LOS ANGELES—On the heels of their Kickstarter success, millennial entrepreneurs Emma Cohen, 32, and Miles Pepper, 23, appeared on Shark Tank’s season premiere earlier this week. More than 150,000 FinalStraws have been sold through the Kickstarter and their official site www.finalstraw.com. Co-Founder and President Miles Pepper explains, “When we launched FinalStraw’s Kickstarter, our goal was to sell about five thousand units, and now we’re producing hundreds of thousands. We could have never imagined this success leading to pitching our idea on SharkTank. We’re excited to bring our mission of ridding the planet of single-use plastics to the Sharks, and their...

Name: Vicki McMichael Title: Director of Compliance and Sustainability, Parks and Resorts Company: Delaware North Companies Years in Current Position: Two Primary Responsibilities: “There’s not a typical day for me. One of my most important roles is connecting the dots between the properties, interacting with NGOs, being an ambassador for GreenPath and keeping the program strong.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Rolling out a strong stewardship program that supports sustainability and features five key branches that go beyond environmental management.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge moving forward: “Striving for zero waste and operating at zero waste.” BUFFALO, N.Y.—More than seven years ago, Green Lodging News profiled...