ATLANTA—SunTrust announced that it has provided more than $1.5 million in term loan and working capital financing to support Clean the World, a global social enterprise, and a leader in global health dedicated to WASH (water, sanitization, and hygiene). This financing will support the global expansion of the company’s hospitality recycling program, the addition of internal and customer facing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) technology, the on-boarding of new brand standard partnerships, and the enterprise’s expansion in the impact event space. Further, Clean the World will be able to grow its staff focused on the global growth of their health, hygiene...

NATIONAL REPORT—As reported on Green Lodging News, the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AHLA) has released the results of its 2018 Lodging Survey. This comprehensive survey is conducted every two years by industry data provider and AHLA partner STR. The survey is funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation. The survey included all properties in the United States with 10 or more guestrooms—nearly 56,000 U.S. properties. With just under 11,500 responses, the overall survey completion rate for the 2018 survey was 21 percent, a gain of six percentage points from 2016. Nine questions fell under “Sustainability,” but other...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—FoodMaven, a Colorado-based startup, announced an initiative aimed at helping hospitality institutions source local, sustainable food products for their kitchens in Colorado and Texas. The initiative is already in place at Hilton properties in Denver including the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel-Westminster, Hilton Denver City Center, and Hilton Stapleton North. “As part of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose commitment to cut our environmental footprint in half by 2030 and double our social impact investment around the world, we are identifying solutions to reduce food waste and expand sustainable sourcing,” said Terry Jenkins, Sr. Manager of Corporate Responsibility Americas, Hilton. “Our...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released the results of a comprehensive Lodging Survey, a detailed assessment of advancements in amenities, guest services, sustainability and technology, in addition to other industry trends. This recent survey underscores how hotels advance, accommodate and innovate the guest experience. Consumers can expect seamless transitions between their everyday lives and their lives on the road thanks to increased mobile compatibility, flexible dining options and welcoming accommodations. This comprehensive survey is conducted every two years by industry data provider and AHLA partner STR, renowned for providing premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for...

This past weekend my family dined at a Mexican restaurant here in Tampa. The food was just fine and as usual I could not eat the entire meal because of the volume of food given to me. I asked for a to-go box and, as most often is the case, I was given one made of Styrofoam (polystyrene). (The server also automatically gave us plastic straws which we declined.) This website lists some of the reasons Styrofoam is bad for the environment and all of us. Did you know that when paired with liquid and heat, a Styrofoam container’s toxins...

ANNAPOLIS, MD.—Maryland is on the brink of becoming the first state to ban expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam food containers, as the State House passed a bill that would ban restaurants, grocery stores, and other food providers from using foam food containers because of their harmful impact on the environment. The bill also bans the retail sale of these products. The bill passed 97-38, with bi-partisan support. Following a pro-forma vote from one chamber on the other chamber’s bill, the legislation only needs Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature to become law. Often referred to as Styrofoam, lightweight littered EPS foam food containers...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added two new videos to its Vendor Videos section. The first video describes the Trapzilla Super-Capacity Grease Interceptor for grease separation and storage. Trapzilla grease interceptors, solids separators, and sampling ports are designed for easy installation while efficiently dealing with grease and solids waste. The second video describes the Big Dipper for capturing and dewatering kitchen grease. Big Dipper’s complete line of grease traps, solid strainers, and accessories give kitchen operators the tools they need to take control of grease and solids. Big Dipper products use stainless steel wraps and inner corrosion-resistant plastic tanks...

CINCINNATI—Cintas Corporation announced that its distribution center in Mason, Ohio has been awarded Platinum under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste certification system. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE helps facilities define, pursue and achieve zero waste goals while becoming more resource efficient. The Cintas facility, which distributes first aid and safety products and rental garments, was previously certified at the Gold level. It took steps to earn additional credits within the Zero Waste Analysis section of the application to secure Platinum, the top certification level. “The partners in our Mason facility, led by distribution center...

BOWLER, WIS.—North Star Mohican Casino Resort has received certification to become a member of The Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Travel Green Wisconsin program, a program that supports Wisconsin’s conservation tradition. With Wisconsin’s longstanding conservation and environmental legacy, this program furthers the commitment to sustainability. North Star Mohican Casino Resort shows continued dedication to reducing its environmental footprint in several ways. The installation of ozone infusers throughout the property has allowed North Star to eliminate the need for countless chemical cleaners. Ozone, a highly soluble gas, is dissolved into water and that water works as a powerful disinfectant. Since removing...

ROUND TOP, TEXAS—Shipping containers that used to travel the world have found a perfect home as creative lodgings—the Flophouze Hotel—on nearly eight acres in Round Top, Texas. It makes sense that they would given owner Matt White’s affection toward “recycling the past.” Recycling the Past is the name of White’s architectural salvage business that offers everything from wooden beams and flooring to aircraft parts. The shipping container “hotel” is a natural outgrowth of White’s long-time interest in preserving everything old. Each of the six shipping containers that is currently available for around $250 a night is unique in its design. Wherever...