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Plastic has been the topic of several of my columns recently. I would like to add one more to the list for three reasons: Orbitz, Yelp, and the results of a very important study published earlier this month in Nature Geoscience. First, Orbitz is helping travelers stay at waste-conscious hotels by listing hotels and locations on its website that are doing their part to reduce or eliminate waste—specifically single-use plastic. The website includes a clickable U.S. map that explains specifically what type of plastic has been banned by the entire state or part of the state. In Illinois, for example,...

As a society, we are more aware than ever before of the damage our lifestyles are causing the environment and the rest of the world. We are much more aware of environmental issues than any generation before us, so many of us seek ways to live a greener lifestyle to try and limit the damage being caused to our planet. You may initially feel overwhelmed by what changes you should make in order to live a more environmentally-friendly and greener lifestyle, but there are many small but significant changes you can make that will make a huge difference. Here are...

NATIONAL REPORT—Rechargeable, “flameless” LED candles have been around for quite some time but technological advances, design improvements and environmental and economic awareness have made them the preferred choice for thousands of hoteliers and restaurateurs.The environmental impact of the burning and disposing of wax candles is significant. According to The Amazing Flameless Candle, a 48-table restaurant will go through 122,000 tea lights, 61,000 votives or 17,000 non-recyclable, oil saturated plastic fuel cell containers over five years as compared to just 48 flameless candles.In addition to the waste-related costs associated with disposable candles, there...

CHICAGO—Orbitz is helping travelers stay at waste-conscious hotels by listing hotels and locations on its website that are doing their part to reduce or eliminate waste—specifically single-use plastic. The website includes a clickable U.S. map that explains specifically what type of plastic has been banned by the entire state or part of the state. In Illinois, for example, part of the state has banned plastic bags. In South Carolina, part of the state has banned plastic straws. To get your property listed, write to press@orbitz.com.

ADA CosmeticsPutting Beauty into Travel. Surprising, Sustainable & Safe. ADA Cosmetics is a global leader in sustainable hotel cosmetics, serving over 30,000 customers in 115 countries. With 45+ years of expertise, the company produces high-end personal care products and pioneering dispenser systems from its facilities in Europe and Asia-Pacific. ADA Cosmetics offers 30+ luxury, designer, and certified natural brands, and is the only hotel amenities provider with a Cradle to Cradle® Certified core portfolio. EcoVadis Gold-rated and ISO 14001-certified, ADA Cosmetics embeds sustainability throughout its value chain. Its dispenser systems set industry standards in hygiene and circularity, reducing...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) has introduced its Commercial Volume Pickup (CVP) program in California. The program is designed to provide no-cost transportation and recycling to retailers, hotels, educational institutions and universities that have at least 100 mattresses to recycle with the Bye Bye Mattress Program. It is managed by MRC’s Program and Logistics Coordinator, Joy Broussard.“By making it easier for these types of businesses to use the Bye Bye Mattress Program, we are diverting more mattresses from California landfills and working towards meeting statewide recycling goals,” said Broussard. “We have...

SINGAPORE—Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is celebrating its 25th Anniversary and Earth Day 2019 with an over 25 percent groupwide reduction of single-use plastic in a year. The Group announced a pledge against single-use plastic in support of the Earth Day 2018 theme End Plastic Pollution. Within a year, this declaration has inspired the change across its 48 hotels worldwide and successfully eliminated 4.2 million single-use plastic items, equating to a significant 26 percent reduction in total usage.Championing 25 years of sustainable development since its inception in 1994, Banyan Tree Hotels &...

Glenn Hasek The big news out of California this past week is Assembly Bill No. 1162, legislation that would eliminate single-use plastic bottles used to provide amenities to California lodging guests by January 1, 2023. It was introduced by California Assembly Member Ash Kalra and coauthored by Assembly Member Mark Stone. The next hearing date for the bill is April 23. While I applaud this groundbreaking legislation—a bold step to reduce the mountains of plastic amenity bottle waste that ends up in landfills, oceans and elsewhere—I am baffled by our industry’s response...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—Legislation introduced by California Assembly Member Ash Kalra and coauthored by Assembly Member Mark Stone would eliminate the small, single-use plastic bottles used to provide amenities to California lodging guests by January 1, 2023.The bill would require a local agency with authority to inspect sleeping accommodations in a lodging establishment to notify lodging establishments of this requirement no less than one year before the requirement would become operative.The bill would authorize a state or local agency with authority to inspect sleeping accommodations in a lodging establishment to enforce these requirements by...