VÄSTRA FRÖLUNDA, SWEDEN—Bowls, cutlery, cups—any packaging that is in contact with food—needs a barrier to prevent water and oil from leaking through. Paper and molded fiber packaging have traditionally relied on a thin plastic film or the addition of fluorochemicals to hold out water and grease. Neither of these solutions is ideal, as plastic layers are not degradable and can be difficult to recycle. Fluorochemicals have been found to migrate into food and accumulate in our bodies, prompting them to be banned in many parts of the world. What is the answer, then, for transitioning to environmentally sustainable fiber-based...

TORONTO—Flow Beverage announced that it has executed an agreement with Accor for Flow Alkaline Spring Water to become Accor’s official water partner in North and Central America. The vendor agreement between Flow and Accor is intended to replace all single-use plastic water bottles across Accor’s properties in the region with Flow water. A world leading hospitality group with more than 5,300 properties in 110 countries, Accor is the second largest luxury hotel operator in North America. Beginning last month, Flow products were launched at more than 70 luxury hotel properties under such globally renowned brands as Fairmont and Sofitel, across...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Delaware North, a global leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry, announced a partnership with Sierra Nevada and Impossible Burger for its 2022 Earth Month campaign, “Seeds for Sustainability.” The campaign, part of Delaware North’s award-winning GreenPath program, replaced traditional cardboard drink coasters and beverage napkins with eco-friendly, plantable seed coasters for guests to take home, plant and enjoy. The Earth Day promotion, featuring Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing and plant-based Impossible Burgers, was available at 27 locations across Delaware North’s Parks, Travel, Gaming and Patina Restaurant Group divisions during the month of April, while supplies lasted. In all, more than...

Green Lodging News will turn 16 this July. It was approximately three years after the launch of Green Lodging News that Clean the World was launched. Many of you have worked with Clean the World over the years by donating money or new or partially used soap bars and amenity bottles. If, because of the pandemic, you stopped donating, please start again. The need is just as great or greater, especially with the attack of Ukraine by Russia. (Volunteers in Arlington, Va., and Seattle are in the process of assembling 200,000 hygiene kits for victims of the war there....

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Bluewater, a leader in innovating water purification solutions, said there is an urgent need to double down on tackling micro-plastic pollution as a new study for the first time reveals the presence of the particles in human blood. “A study by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands showing the presence of polymer particles in our blood underlines the urgent need to accelerate efforts to halt the spread of micro-plastics and the resulting exposure to the chemicals in them,” said Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri. Published in the journal Environment International, the study analyzed blood samples from 22 healthy individuals and discovered 17—or...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The pandemic did many bad things to the hospitality industry and its related organizations. One of the organizations that suffered the most was Clean the World, the Orlando, Fla. based nonprofit that is dependent on donations of soap, amenity bottles, financial support, and volunteers to keep its mission rolling. “The donation drop off was more than 75 percent during the pandemic,” says Robert Montgomery, Clean the World’s VP Product Development. “Clean the World laid off 80 percent of staff. We almost had to close our doors.” Corporate events, at which groups assemble hygiene kits, came to a complete...

ÖREBRO, SWEDEN—Scandic has now opened its third hotel in Örebro, in the middle of a vibrant urban development project. Scandic Örebro Central, which has 160 rooms on nine floors, is strategically located next to Örebro Central Station and nestled among corporate and government offices. The hotel will be a new hub for Örebro residents and visitors alike, and Scandic is the first business to open its doors in the new Örebro Entré area. From today, Scandic now offers 596 hotel rooms in Örebro, making it the largest hotel company in the city. Since turning the first sod in January 2020...

BETHESDA, MD.—Curator Hotel & Resort Collection announced a new partnership with Tayst Coffee Roaster to provide premium and sustainable coffee products to its members. Through this partnership, members can provide the highest quality coffee to guests using products like sustainably sourced beans from South America and 100 percent compostable single-serve pods, capsules and packaging. “At Curator, we believe in helping our members provide quality experiences that leave guests feeling good about their choice to stay at our properties,” said Jennifer Barnwell, President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. “To successfully achieve this, we know that providing thoughtful products and services are...

HALLANDALE, FLA.—Since the very beginning, Groupe GM has been a pioneer within the amenities industry, creating the concept of branded amenities for hotels. Today, the group is celebrating Bienvenue, their first hotel amenity brand which is now over 45 years old, and simultaneously, the first collection of cosmetic products designed in France for the hotel industry specifically. Groupe GM’s founder Georges Marchand, self-taught and adventurous, embraced a brilliant commercial career: after having sold cars and exclusive books, he became sales director in a company specialized in artwork replication by great masters such as Renoir, Monnet and Picasso, especially for hotels. It was through his many meetings with...

FALLS CHURCH, VA.—The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit organization that works with communities, companies, and governments to transform recycling programs, has released a new resource focusing on a specific type of recycling—drop-off sites. Forty-five percent of Americans don’t have access to curbside recycling, whether because of rural locations or multi-family housing structures. Many of these communities utilize drop-off sites in these situations to fill that gap in access. “The Partnership has worked with many communities to reduce contamination at drop-off sites,” says Cassandra Ford, Community Program Manager at The Recycling Partnership. “The Drop-Off Recycling Contamination Reduction Kit takes our proven anti-contamination...