Certainly one of the hottest topics prior to the pandemic was the trend toward eliminating individual-use plastic items. I recently featured Dr. Megan Morikawa, Global Director of Sustainability for Iberostar Hotels & Resorts and she told me one of the three main goals of her company’s Wave of Change movement is eliminating the consumption of single-use plastics. In fact, in 2020 Iberostar reached its goal and is now 100 percent free of single-use plastics. With a combination of more than 100 owned and managed hotels around the world, that could not have been easy. Thank you Iberostar for showing...

NEW YORK—Legislation winding its way through the State Legislature could make New York the second state in the nation to ban environmentally troublesome, individual-size plastic bottles from hotels and motels. The legislative push—led by State Senator Todd Kaminsky and by Assemblymember Steve Englebright—is the latest step in the Legislature’s recent efforts to tackle the ever-growing problem associated with throw-away, single-use plastics. In 2019, the Legislature banned plastic carry-out bags at grocery stores and other retail establishments. And in 2020, it directed the phase-out of polystyrene foam food and beverage containers. Across New York State, tens of millions of tiny shampoo, conditioner,...

LANCASTER, PA.— According to Sustainable Composites LLC, 3.5 billion pounds of leather waste is burned or sent to landfills each year. “A pound of scrap is thrown away for every person in the world,” says Frank Fox, partner Sustainable Composites. Fox and his business partner Tom Tymon found that unacceptable and officially launched their company last year—after figuring out a way to turn leather scraps into a very affordable yet luxurious material called enspire leather. The “e” denotes the environmentally positive aspect of the product while recognizing the endless inspiration the product can deliver to designers, manufacturers, and consumers. Fox...

POWAY, CALIF.—Nordaq, the hospitality industry’s global premium water solution, recently announced its clients eliminated more than 25 million single-use plastic bottles in 2020 alone, thanks to its innovative filtration system. A pioneer in sustainable water solutions since 2005, Nordaq has created a compelling balance of premium taste and sustainability. “Although the industry is still evolving as a result of the challenges posed by 2020, my hope is that humankind will continue to respect the planet we live on,” said Johanna Mattson, CEO of Nordaq. “Through Nordaq’s advanced tapping system, we’ve increased the environmental benefits of our reusable bottles without compromising...

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.—Santa Cruz-based startup Steeped, Inc. has launched its revolutionary Steeped Coffee brewing method to serious coffee drinkers across the nation. Brewed similar to tea, Steeped Coffee’s nitro sealed Steeped Bags, along with their guilt-free packaging made using renewable and compostable materials, achieve the unthinkable: freshly ground specialty coffee in a single-serving. That is why it earned the “Best New Product” award for their innovative packaging at the recent Specialty Coffee Expo. Steeped Coffee launched when serial entrepreneur and coffee lover Josh Wilbur decided to combine the convenience of a single-serving brew method with the premium quality of ethically...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, a leading global corporate lodging platform, introduced a first-of-its-kind solution that gives corporations and employees a way to organize travel more sustainably. HRS’ Green Stay Initiative, in pilot this quarter, leverages proprietary technology to give procurement leaders and everyday business travelers an intuitive system to identify, compare and prioritize hotels that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of the lodging portion of the typical business trip. HRS is assimilating data from thousands of hotel groups and independent properties as part of a groundbreaking framework, including details on energy consumption, water use, and waste disposal. Through the unprecedented normalization...

ASHLAND, ORE.—Hotels, resorts, and spas are embracing Functional Botanicals dry wipes—biodegradable bamboo tablets infused with organic essential oils. The castile soap in the Essential Wipes Plus features an aromatherapy blend of Copaiba, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Niouli, and Palo Santo, and Rose and Frankincense in Luna Wipes. The soap infused dry wipes are clinically proven to clean and disinfect. Tablets expand to a full-size aromatic cleansing towelette with an ounce of hot or cold water. Use in the hospitality environment reduces two major pain points: laundry and labor. At the helm of the hospitality division is seasoned sales executive Cortney Devlin...

PALMA, SPAIN—Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain with more than 120 four- and five-star hotels, located in the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, Africa, and America. The Iberostar hotel portfolio offers customers beachfront hotels, city hotels and heritage hotels. In addition, there is the Grand category, the highest level of luxury and excellence. Iberostar’s Wave of Change movement is an initiative based on three complementary but different action lines: eliminating the consumption of single-use plastics, promoting responsible seafood consumption and the improvement of coastal health. Leading Iberostar’s work under the Wave of Change movement is Dr....

FAROE ISLANDS—For those of you not familiar with their location, the Faroe Islands are a North Atlantic archipelago located 200 miles north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway and Iceland. Like Greenland, it is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Last October, the 130-room Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands opened on the islands in Torshavn with a bundle of unique green features. Green Lodging News recently corresponded with Kate Mikesell, VP Corporate Responsibility, Hilton, and Martin Restorff, General Manager of the hotel, to learn about those green gems. For Kate Mikesell, VP Corporate Responsibility, Hilton: Q: Explain how...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News welcomes WaterBox to its Green Product & Service Directory in the “Water/Sustainably Packaged” category. WaterBox sources pure, premium water from Mt. Shasta, California and Blue Springs, Georgia. It is packaged in an earth-conscious, 100 percent recyclable paper carton that contains no BPAs and no volatile organic compounds. Printed using natural inks that are kind to the environment. WaterBox is healthy for the earth and for your body. WaterBox delivers at a price that is comparable to standard, premium bottled waters. WaterBox is the appealing and affordable alternative to water in plastic bottles. When you choose WaterBox, you help...