WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.—3 Pillar Solutions, LLC announced the launch of their online 3Pillar Hotel Sustainability Assessment, eliminating what can sometimes be unaffordable on-site consulting and travel fees. This comprehensive 238-question assessment takes a comprehensive snapshot of the entire operations. Shortly after submittal, a custom-tailored report of recommendations for improvement and cost savings are provided, along with a 3Pillar Hotel Sustainability Guide offering education in all areas of sustainable hospitality, from food waste prevention, stakeholder engagement strategies, to adopting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 2030 locally. “The 3P Hotel Sustainability Assessment by 3 Pillar Solutions provided a comprehensive and affordable...

GULF SHORES, ALA.—The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel opened its doors after a much-anticipated return to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Guests of the 350-room, beachfront hotel, located within Alabama’s Gulf State Park, will enjoy views of the Gulf of Mexico or Lake Shelby with direct access to the emerald green waters of the Gulf and over 6,150 acres of trails and activities within the Park. The Lodge at Gulf State Park is the first full service hotel to open in the area in 20 years. It is a premier meetings and events destination, offering a wide array of...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton announced an initial investment of $1 million to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa. To do so, the company will focus on five key areas—Hilton’s Big Five: Youth Opportunity: investing in training and apprenticeship programs to build a strong talent pipeline and tackle identified challenges for youth, including underemployment; Water Stewardship: the expansion of existing partnerships and the creation of new alliances to help Hilton achieve its goal to reduce its water consumption by 50 percent and activate 20 context-based water projects in at-risk communities by 2030; Anti-Human Trafficking: the provision of training and auditing to...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added a ClearWater Tech case study to its website. Jim Massey’s Cleaners and Laundry, of Montgomery, Alabama, was looking to eliminate their high costs of hot water and chemicals used in their textile and garment restoration department. John Massey provided proof of the effectiveness and payback by using EcoTex Cold-Water Disinfection Systems on their washers. Engineered and manufactured by California-based ClearWater Tech, EcoTex was first introduced to John Massey by Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Skip Mallios who told John just how much of a difference a proper injection of ozone would make with the wash processes in...

LAS VEGAS—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized The Toro Company with a 2018 WaterSense Excellence Award for its creative approach to supporting WaterSense and promoting water efficiency in 2017. Toro received one of 21 WaterSense awards at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas. Since 2006, Toro and more than 1,900 other WaterSense partners have helped consumers save more than 2.7 trillion gallons of water, or more than the amount used by all U.S. households for nearly 100 days. In addition to water savings, WaterSense-labeled products and homes have helped reduce the amount of energy needed to heat, pump...

LAS VEGAS—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Energy Inspectors Corp. with a 2018 WaterSense Partner of the Year award. Energy Inspectors was honored at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference on October 4, 2018 for its role in water efficiency innovation and WaterSense promotion. More than 1,900 utility, manufacturer, retailer, builder, and other WaterSense organizational partners, in 2017 alone, saved an estimated 631 billion gallons of water using WaterSense products. To understand the magnitude of savings, it is said to be possible that 100 percent of the world’s population can fit into a cubic mile. WaterSense has helped consumers and businesses save more than 2.7...

Name: Vicki McMichael Title: Director of Compliance and Sustainability, Parks and Resorts Company: Delaware North Companies Years in Current Position: Two Primary Responsibilities: “There’s not a typical day for me. One of my most important roles is connecting the dots between the properties, interacting with NGOs, being an ambassador for GreenPath and keeping the program strong.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Rolling out a strong stewardship program that supports sustainability and features five key branches that go beyond environmental management.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge moving forward: “Striving for zero waste and operating at zero waste.” BUFFALO, N.Y.—More than seven years ago, Green Lodging News profiled...

LOS ANGELES—ICERA’s new Malibu II Back-outlet toilet features a powerful, water-efficient and quiet gravity flush. The Malibu also features a chair-height, compact elongated-bowl for maximum comfort. The simple connectivity eliminates potential installation challenges, while the sleek styling compliments a wide variety of bathroom décors. Its back-outlet engineering results in a slim design that is ideal for smaller spaces, and the skirted design neatly hides unsightly pipes and other connectors. The Malibu II is one of the few back-outlet toilets on the market to offer a high-performance, quiet gravity flush with a certified 1000 g MaP score—using only 1.28 gallons of...

SAN FRANCISCO—Starbucks Coffee Co. announced the “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework and a commitment to design, build and operate 10,000 “Greener Stores” globally by 2025. “Starbucks Greener Stores” framework will be built upon comprehensive performance criteria that help ensure the company’s approach to designing, building, and operating its company-owned stores sets a new standard for green retail. Over the next year, Starbucks will develop an accredited program to audit all existing company-operated stores in the United States and Canada against the framework criteria, culminating in 10,000 “Greener Stores” globally by 2025, encompassing existing stores, new builds and renovations. “Starbucks Greener...

ORLANDO, FLA.—More than 8,000 food industry professionals gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando last week for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show. Among the hundreds of exhibitors were companies introducing products to reduce energy and water consumption and material waste. The following is a quick rundown of those companies and the products they featured: PowerTrak Efficiency Systems, LLC—PowerTrak Efficiency Systems introduced its VX Series Energy Management Thermostat that includes an occupancy sensor that allows for energy saving when rooms are unoccupied. Fully configurable settings allow for temperature setback, temperature recovery, setback optimization, setback limits, and set point...