MORROW, GA.—TOTO USA, a leader in premium high-efficiency plumbing products and green manufacturing practices, announced that it has further expanded its sustainable logistics initiatives by adding UPS’s new carbon neutral shipping program to its energy-efficient supply chain. Globally, TOTO is the first major company to do so. Adding UPS’s carbon neutral shipping program to its sustainability practices enables TOTO to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the transport of its small package shipments within the United States. A deciding factor in TOTO’s decision to adopt UPS’s new initiative is the fact that UPS’s carbon neutral shipping program is verified...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Expanding on its company-wide commitment to conservation and sustainable operations, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to significantly reduce energy and water consumption at every one of its 1,000 hotels within the decade. Starwood is targeting a 30 percent reduction in energy use per available room by 2020; the company will also work toward a 20 percent decrease in water consumption per available room by 2020. The initiative will apply to all of Starwood’s owned, managed, and franchised hotels around the world. “We don’t see these goals as an obligation, but an opportunity,” said Frits van Paasschen,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Fuel cell power systems, installed at properties such as the Hilton New York, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, and Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino, have worked reliably for years now but have failed to catch on in a big way throughout the lodging industry. Cost and availability of funding have certainly been reasons and the recent recession certainly has not helped. A lack of a serious marketing push by suppliers has contributed to the technology’s slow acceptance and systems have also not been available for smaller hotels. Some recent developments, however, could make fuel cells a more...

LAS VEGAS—Best-selling author Steven Solomon and “natural capitalism” advocate Hunter Lovins will be keynote speakers at the third WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, slated for October 6 to 8, 2010 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas. Registration for the urban water efficiency conference is now underway. Lovins, president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions and co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute and California Conservation Society, will keynote the conference’s opening session Wednesday, October 6. Through NCS, Lovins educates senior public- and private-sector decision-makers about strategies to enable companies, communities, and countries to become more sustainable....

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIF.—Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, a popular year-round lodging destination in the heart of Yosemite Village, unveiled today two prototype guest rooms on the cutting edge of environmentally-friendly interior architecture and design. The two rooms at The Lodge are the first of their kind in Yosemite National Park. Reflective of Delaware North Companies’ award-winning GreenPath environmental stewardship platform, the two eco-friendly guestrooms were designed with an eye toward an eventual rollout throughout the Lodge’s 245 rooms. Every design selection, from insulation and paint to textiles and light fixtures, was evaluated based on its proximity, sustainability, recycled...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Blu-Drop as a Green Product & Service Directory Partner. Blu-Drop makes it easy to upgrade from a standard toilet to a dual-flush toilet without having to purchase a new toilet. The company’s easy-to-install WF-11C system is less than one-tenth the cost of a new toilet and can double the efficiency of an existing toilet. With the WF-11C system one need only replace the existing flapper and handle with the patented dual-flapper and dual-action handle. There is no need to remove the toilet tank. The WF-11C will fit nearly...

SHANGHAI—Marriott International will invest $500,000 in seed money over the next two years to support a vital water conservation program that helps protect the largest source of fresh water on the planet, located in the mountains of Southwest China. The program will focus its work in Sichuan Province, the area hit hard by the 2008 earthquake. Concurrently, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels throughout China have committed to reducing their water and energy use by 25 percent by 2017. The program, called the “Nobility of Nature,” is designed to assist rural communities in Sichuan Province with sustainable businesses, such as mushroom farming...

HOUSTON—In an effort to even further reduce their carbon footprint, Hilton Americas-Houston, the city’s largest hotel and first Green Seal certified hotel in Texas, is now even greener with the installation of the AquaRecycle water recycling system in the hotel’s laundry. The laundry facility, covering 27,000 square feet and rivaling most commercial laundry plants in both size and capacity, is by far the largest hotel laundry in the city, washing and finishing more than 675,000 pounds of linens per month. The two Lavatec tunnel washers wash 100 pounds of linens every two and half minutes, with a maximum working capacity...

NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO—Moen Incorporated’s Commercial Division introduces M•Power, a full line of sensor-operated flush valves featuring durability, water savings and sanitary protection for commercial restrooms. The M•Power line offers a number of options, including standard flow, high efficiency, dual flush and pint flush models. All M•Power flush valves require little or no maintenance, offering lower lifetime costs for a facility. As an added benefit, installing Moen’s M•Power flush valves contributes to a building’s eligibility to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, earning the building up to two points in the Water Use Reduction category. “M•Power...

SOUTH EGREMONT, MASS.—Monarch Bath, Bed & Spa, a leading global provider of bathrobes and luxury hotel linens, announced that they have signed an exclusive agreement with The Comphy Company to provide their eco-friendly line of bed sheets to hotel markets worldwide. Comphy sheets are the latest addition to the MONARCH ECO product line, a complete line of hotel towels, robes and sheets designed to conserve water and reduce energy costs in the laundry operation, while maximizing comfort and durability. Comphy sheets are designed to provide superior luxury for guests, while protecting the bottom line for hoteliers. Made from 100 percent...