BERKELEY, CALIF.—The Kraft Heinz Co., the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, has agreed to set a goal to reduce total virgin plastic use following the filing of a shareholder proposal and engagement with As You Sow. The proposal asked Kraft Heinz to report on how the company would reduce plastic packaging, including planned reduction strategies or goals, materials redesign, substitution, or reductions in use of virgin plastic. The company intends to set a substantial virgin plastic packaging reduction goal later this year or in the first quarter of 2023, the company informed As You Sow in a statement. In response, As You Sow agreed to...

FREMONT, CALIF.—Power Knot LLC, a market leader for onsite organic waste management solutions, announced that its Middle East division has been named as the Eco-Friendly Waste Food Disposal Solution 2021. This is one of the UAE Business Awards 2021 presented by MEA Markets. This award symbolizes the hard work and outstanding effort of all nominees who have helped to ensure that the UAE is a demanding and dynamic country. After MEA Market’s selection and judging process Power Knot Middle East was narrowed down from all nominees to determine the best market leader. Award selection is based on various criteria such...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added World Amenities to the “Amenities/Dispensers/Toiletries” section of its Green Product & Service Directory. Founded in 2015, World Amenities, an Inc. 5000 company, is a leading global supplier of environmentally friendly, recyclable, and biodegradable quality luxe skincare-based brands, custom amenities, necessities, and accessories. Incorporating EcoPure biodegradable technology, World Amenities brings 20 years of experience to the production and distribution of FDA-approved and certified, vegan and cruelty-free skincare brands, with most products and packaging made in North America. Whether a customer needs dispenser solutions or sustainable refillable pumps, World Amenities uniquely designs, formulates, customizes, and manufactures each personal...

FREMONT, CALIF.—Power Knot LLC, a market leader for onsite organic waste management solutions, announced that Dubai Creative Group and Power Knot have collaborated with Microsoft Dubai to create the first solar-powered biodigester in the world. In 2021, the Microsoft Real Estate and Facilities Directorate (RE&F) team in Dubai implemented an exciting initiative: a solar-powered LFC biodigester for their restaurant. Microsoft set clear goals to become carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030 and purchased the LFC biodigester to help them achieve these goals. The digestate that the machine outputs is used as a plant-organic fertilizer to create an...

BURBANK, CALIF.—The Walt Disney Co. released its 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which details its efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion through stories and storytellers who reflect the rich diversity of our world, support environmental sustainability by taking action to help protect our planet, and bring comfort, optimism, and joy to our communities through Disney’s charitable giving. Disney also highlights its commitment to invest in its employees and cast members, and to operate responsibly. “Every company has a unique impact on the world. At Disney, creating stories and experiences that inspire and bring people together is ours. Our stories encourage...

FREMONT, CALIF.—Power Knot LLC, a market leader for onsite organic waste management solutions, announced that it has released Powerchips Green, a new medium made 100 percent of plant-based organic material, that has been designed to speed up the digestion rate of food waste in LFC biodigesters. The LFC biodigester is a machine that digests food waste. These machines are usually installed in a commercial kitchen and reduce the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint of disposing of waste food that would otherwise be hauled to a landfill or dumped in the ocean. Power Knot has ten different models that digest...

ATLANTA, GA.—Acuity Brands, Inc., a market-leading industrial technology company, announced a new initiative planned to reduce paper use by more than 15 million sheets and save an estimated 1,500 trees per year through its introduction of scannable QR code instructions. The shift to lessen paper usage aligns the company’s sustainability goals with its digital transformation. “Our products last for years and sometimes decades, and over time, the paper installation instructions are discarded or misplaced. Giving our customers digital access to the documents they need helps minimize waste and makes our product information more accessible,” said Trevor Palmer, President, Acuity Brands Lighting and Lighting Controls. The introduction of digital...

MACAO—Team members from Sands China Ltd. got together with volunteers from two local community groups at The Venetian Macao recently, where they built 20,000 hygiene kits for Clean the World, an international social enterprise that provides hygiene supplies essential for good health to populations in need around the globe, helping prevent the spread of disease. The hygiene kit build is an annual worldwide volunteer effort of Sands China’s parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS); in 2014, Sands China was the first integrated operator to launch such an event in Macao. The initiative helps Clean the World distribute emergency response hygiene kits to assist with...

A bill now being considered by the Hawaii legislature would prohibit lodging establishments from providing personal care products in small plastic bottles within sleeping room accommodations, any space within sleeping room accommodations, or bathrooms used by the public or guests. The bill, HG 1645, establishes fines and civil penalties for those who do not comply. According to the bill, the use of single—use toiletries in hotels and other lodging establishments contributes to plastic waste locally and globally. California and New York have recently passed laws that prohibit hotels, bed and breakfast homes, and short-term vacation rentals from providing single-use personal...

NATIONAL REPORT—Last June, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law a bill supported by the Southern Nevada Water Authority that requires the removal of “useless,” or purely decorative, grass throughout the Las Vegas Valley by the end of 2026. The Valley has been undergoing a severe drought as indicated by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Useless grass, also known as nonfunctional turf, is found around Southern Nevada business complexes (including hotels and resorts), along streets in HOA communities, and in traffic circles and medians. It is grass that provides no recreational value. The California Air Resources Board has voted to update California’s...