HOUSTON—For the second year in a row, Waste Management has been named the Sector Leader for Commercial Services, at the top of the 2019 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for North America and the World. Amid a record number of companies completing the survey, this distinction recognizes the company’s leadership in its industry. “We are extremely proud to be named a leader on the DJSI World Indices for the second year in a row,” said Jim Fish, President and CEO of Waste Management. “Waste Management has spent nearly 30 years focusing on environmental innovations, sustainability and change. We continue to...

ORLANDO, FLA.—In conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day, Wyndham Destinations, the world’s largest vacation ownership and exchange company, announced it would eliminate plastic straws and other single-use plastic from food and beverage operations at its timeshare resorts around the world. To support the company’s environmental sustainability initiatives, Wyndham Destinations’ vacation club resorts plan to remove single-use plastic straws starting October 1, 2019. The effort will eliminate more than 750,000 single-use plastic straws in North America alone and 1.1 million across the globe. Earlier this year, the company’s Asia Pacific resorts removed disposable straws from 33 managed resorts. “The switch to biodegradable...

LightBlue Environmental Consulting (LBEC) and Travel Without Plastic (TWP) have joined forces to tackle the two single biggest waste streams in hotels—food waste and single use plastic. Led by long-term sustainability professionals, both organizations originally set out with wider objectives in mind but narrowed down their focus into specific problem areas, guaranteeing the most robust possible service for hotels looking to tackle two of this decade’s increasingly important topics. Aware that solving one problem should not cause another, both organizations champion a reduction in overall waste and their respective recommendations to businesses ensure that the wider picture is considered before...

STAMFORD, CONN.—The Keep America Beautiful America Recycles Day, the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States, has opened registration for businesses, community organizations, government entities, individuals and others planning to host an America Recycles Day-themed event. America Recycles Day, which takes place on and in the weeks surrounding November 15, educates people about the importance of recycling to our economy and environmental well-being, and helps to motivate occasional recyclers to become everyday recyclers. “Our fall recycling initiatives highlight the power that we all have to make more mindful decisions in our daily lives about recycling...

SAN DIEGO—For the first time since the Ocean Conservancy began keeping track, plastic cutlery is showing up on the Top 10 list of trash found during beach cleanups. In an effort to reduce this and take plastic utensils #OffTheTable (and therefore, beaches), TwentyFifty is launching the world’s first 100 percent compostable utensils. Forks, knives and spoons can compost in as little as 10 days. Named after the year 2050—the year the population is projected to reach 10 billion and when it’s estimated that the amount of plastic waste in the ocean will exceed the amount of fish—the brand has one...

BOCA RATON, FLA.—The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, a long-standing supporter of the removal of single use plastics across all their 17 (soon to be 20) luxury hotels, has banned single use plastic water bottles in addition to more than 20 everyday plastic convenience items from all properties for some time now. Red Carnation Hotels is a sibling of the Travel Corporation’s family of brands and works in partnership with its TreadRight Foundation to #MakeTravelMatter. TTC remains dedicated to removing as many unnecessary single use plastics from its worldwide supply chains on our thousands of immersive trips and experiences delivered in...

TOKYO—Royal Park Hotels and Resorts Company, Ltd. (RPHS) says that between June this year and January 2020 it will introduce biodegradable drinking straws made from polylactic acid (PLA) resin derived from renewable biomass such as fermented corn starch, thus replacing around 280,000 plastic straws per year. The company took the decision after due consideration of various options. The new biodegradable drinking straws, certified by the Japan BioPlastic Association, have a reduced impact on the environment. Within the same timeframe RPHS will start to actively support fair trade actions which aim to improve social and environmental standards for producers and workers...

ORLANDO—The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show wrapped up last week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando with more than 400 exhibitors demonstrating their products to restaurateurs and hoteliers from all over the state and beyond. Many of the suppliers on hand offered products to reduce energy and water consumption as well as waste. The following is a list of some of those suppliers along with descriptions of the products they introduced. True Green Enterprises, Inc.—The maker of tree free paper straws, bath tissue, jumbo roll tissue, facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, and paper cups, announced that it will...

NEBRASKA CITY, NEB.—With the growing demand for greener practices for in-room hospitality, the demand for more sustainable coffee choices, including packaging, continues to grow. There is no denying single-serve capsules are here to stay, and with that in mind, the Arbor Day Coffee program has taken extra steps to minimize their impact on the planet by providing a recycling program to hospitality locations purchasing shade-grown Arbor Day Coffee. Arbor Day Coffee is well known to be focused on roasting shade-grown coffee, yet what most may not know is their recent efforts in launching a recycling program for single-serve capsules, specifically...

PORTSMOUTH, DOMINICA—Secret Bay, the exclusive, sustainable, private, all villa resort and the first five-star luxury experience in Dominica, the Caribbean’s “Nature Island,” announced it has been awarded Green Globe Certification, one of the highest standards for sustainability worldwide. The only operating hotel on Dominica to hold the accolade, Secret Bay was recognized for its innovative guest experience that is designed to seamlessly bring the island’s sustainability efforts to life. Secret Bay prides itself on existing at the intersection of luxury and sustainability, and has always been steadfast in preserving Dominica’s natural and pure beauty. From sustainably designed villas built with Guyanese...