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...

SAN FRANCISCO—LOLIWARE, the SEA Technology creator, announced that they have developed the first seaweed pellet created from natural biomaterials to replace plastic at scale. The company has partnered with American manufacturer Sinclair and Rush to scale production with a leading plastic-free, high-performing seaweed straw for businesses of all sizes. This announcement is significant because it is the first U.S. production of onshore, seaweed-based product replacements and is an alternative to outsourcing plastics from China—a needed step toward reducing plastic in landfills and oceans. Seaweed captures 5 to 20 times more carbon than land-based forests per unit area, including permanently storing some of it...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands announced it has expanded its flagship Sands Cares Accelerator program to Macao by welcoming local nongovernmental organization (NGO) Green Future to the three-year exclusive membership program that serves as a catalyst for greater nonprofit impact in the community. Green Future is the fifth nonprofit organization to join the Sands Cares Accelerator program, launched by Sands in 2017 to help fast-track rising organizations on the tipping point of making a leap in community impact. Through the three-year membership program, Sands creates longer-term relationships with nonprofits via extended funding, structured guidance and customized support rarely found with typical...

HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK—One of the hospitality industry’s most innovative new concepts is emerging in New York’s Hudson Valley--Moliving at Hurley House. Produced and operated by Moliving Inc., its ultra-luxury Units will be 399 square feet on the inside and will include deck space of 240 feet. With its 60 Units, Moliving at Hurley House will open this September. Moliving Units can either be “off the grid” while using solar panels with lithium battery technology to store energy or can be easily connected to the grid in a matter of minutes. According to Jordan Bem, CEO, and founder of Moliving,...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—With a shared mission of eliminating plastic waste and providing safe, ultra-purified and great-tasting drinking water, Stockholm-based Bluewater, and Denver, Colorado-based FloWater announced their merger. The two corporations say the merger will help accelerate innovation of new drinking water purification products, drive expansion into new markets, and achieve economies of scale in manufacturing and supply chain efficiencies in a post-Covid world. Bluewater was founded in 2013 By Swedish environmental entrepreneur Bengt Rittri on the sale of his previous indoor air purification corporation, Blueair, to consumer goods giant Unilever. Today, Bluewater has grown into a global innovator of market leader water...