ATLANTA—IHG owners across the United States and Canada are driving further impact in local communities through the Renovation Donation Initiative (RDI), an industry-leading reuse program. Over the past year, more than 50 hotels have registered to participate in the program, including nearly 30 which have already scheduled or completed pick-ups. Launched as a pilot effort by IHG and the IHG Owners Association in October 2018, and fully open to all IHG-branded hotels in the United States and Canada as of April 2019, the first-of-its-kind RDI provides hotels undergoing renovation an easy process to reduce waste and support local communities by...

KEHL, GERMANY—Plastic waste has become a highly debated global issue. The small bottles of body care products, which still can be found in many hotel bathrooms, contribute significantly to this problem. Estimates show that each year, the hotel industry disposes over 10 billion of these mini bottles, many of which still contain product. ADA Cosmetics International is using the “Make the Shift” campaign to draw the attention of hoteliers towards environmentally friendly dispenser systems. The key communication mode is a landing page with background information and product news on the topic of dispenser system solutions, presented in a magazine style....

SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF.—Bamboo Studio is about to launch Eco Hempware, the world’s first collection of foodservice tableware made entirely from high-grade industrial grown hemp fiber. Twice as strong as steel, six times as flexible, and 100 percent compostable, industrial hemp is a high-yield crop ideally suited for the food industry, producing four times as much fiber pulp from one acre of hemp as an acre of trees. Eco Hempware is microwave safe, dishwasher safe and extremely durable. Experts at making sustainable tableware with natural fibers for over 10 years, Bamboo Studio is launching its newest brand, Eco-Hempware, with an initial 50-piece...

MALE, MALDIVES—Emerald Collection announced that Emerald Maldives Resort & SPA has opened. Unusual to any private island, Emerald Maldives houses a wraparound reef which means guests are never more than a few footsteps away from an encounter with exotic fish, turtles or manta rays. The 120-villa resort is located on the Raa Atoll, renowned for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world and boasts one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives. “With Emerald Maldives Resort & SPA, we wanted to create a sanctuary for guests who wish to escape the pressures and stress of modern-day...

MCLEAN, VA.—As the holiday season approaches, Hilton is announcing the expansion of its innovative food donation initiative to all of its managed hotels across the United States and Canada, representing one of the largest hotel food donation programs to date. The company expects to donate nearly 100 tons of food over the next year—enough to feed more than 160,000 people—while also diverting millions of pounds of food waste from landfills. “We have a century-long tradition at Hilton of playing a pioneering role in the hospitality industry, and it is inspiring to see our Team Members taking that spirit out into...

First this week: In last week’s articles, “Research Conducted for Clean the World: Bacterial Contamination Common in Refillable Dispensers,” and “New Research Much Fuel for the Fire in Ongoing Dispenser Debate,” Clean the World CEO and President Shawn Seipler incorrectly used the word “fecal” to describe the bacteria contained in the refillable dispensers that were part of a study conducted by the University of Arizona. Those mentions have since been corrected. The Executive Summary of the larger report on dispensers to be published next year was a hot topic of conversation this past week. It would be great to see...

MEXICO CITY—Vidanta Riviera Maya, one of the Vidanta Resorts, has been named as the first resort destination in Mexico to receive EarthCheck Master Certification, which has been granted to only 21 companies around the world. EarthCheck—the world’s leading authority in environmental consulting, scientific benchmarking, and sustainability certification for the travel and tourism industry—awarded Vidanta Riviera Maya with the “Master Status” for 15 years of continuous environmental leadership and successfully meeting criteria in energy conservation programs, appropriate procedures for water and waste management, the reduction of greenhouse gases in hotels and golf courses, and the active promotion of sustainability. In addition to...

PHILADELPHIA—Aramark, a leading U.S.-based provider of food, facilities and uniform services, announced a new 2025 sustainability plan, Be Well. Do Well., focused on positively impacting people and the planet. Be Well. Do Well. is built around several key priorities. People priorities: to engage employees, empower healthy consumers, support local communities, and source ethically and inclusively. Planet priorities: to source responsibly, operate efficiently, and to effectively manage food waste, packaging, emissions and other activities that could adversely impact the environment and planet. “Aramark strives to do our part with respect to environmental, economic, social and ethical considerations,” said Kathy Cacciola, Aramark’s Vice President, Enterprise Sustainability. “Be...

Name: Kristen Royal Title: Sustainability Program Director Company: Tayst Coffee Years in Current Position: 1+ years Primary Responsibilities: “I do a lot of outreach and communication on sustainability. I am in constant communication with other sustainability directors. I research lifecycle reports. I analyze our product and compare it with others. I analyze the machines themselves and the complexities and differences between plastic pods and a compostable one like ours.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Our pod return service. Our clients are demanding this. We are hoping to scale up the service nationwide in January 2020.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge moving forward: “Making sure we...

NATIONAL REPORT—In July, IHG announced that its entire hotel estate of almost 843,000 guestrooms would switch to bulk-size bathroom amenities, with the transition to be completed during 2021. Not included in the announcement was whether IHG had committed to refillable or non-refillable dispensers. In response to a Green Lodging News query, an IHG spokesman said, “Given that the team is currently in the process of working to establish the best bulk-amenity solutions for each brand based on market availability, brand expectations and environmental impact, it’s a bit too early to speak.” In August, Marriott International announced that it’s expanding an...