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Accor Participating in HRS’ Green Stay Initiative
PARIS—HRS, the leading global corporate lodging platform, announced the addition of Accor properties, a world leading hospitality group, in HRS’ new Green Stay Initiative. This decision provides analytical and time-saving benefits to corporate hotel procurement executives as they increasingly require sustainability data as they consider which properties to include on their list of preferred hotels for 2022 and beyond.
“The world’s leading multi-national companies are promoting their aspirations to achieve net-zero operations by 2030 or sooner. These company-wide goals impact managed travel programs, who are tasked to travel more sustainably as they recover from the pandemic,” said HRS CEO Tobias Ragge. “Dozens of...
Hemp: The Future of Sustainable Textiles
From Walgreens to Target to the doctor’s office…It is safe to say that hemp has made a comeback here in the United States. What most people don’t know is that hemp is far more than your run of a mill CBD concoction. It’s food, fiber, fuel and more. For us here at Anact, we believe that hemp is the future of sustainable textiles due to its performance and sustainable attributes. Here’s why we are excited for the hospitality industry to pave the way in re-introducing this powerful textile.
It’s hard to find a negative when it comes to hemp and...
EPA Honors Kohler with 2021 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award
KOHLER, WIS.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored Kohler Co. with a 2021 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award—the seventh such award for the company—for its efforts in 2020 to help consumers and businesses conserve water. Kohler was recognized during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, along with 33 other utilities, manufacturers, builders, retailers, and other organizations that partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs. This recognition marks the twelfth award Kohler Co. has received from the WaterSense program.
Kohler’s various plumbing brands launched nearly 100 WaterSense-labeled products in 2020. From 2007 to 2020, 388...
Was This Summer a Game Changer When It Comes to Climate Change & Water?
In 2018, Media Matters, a watchdog group, reported that over a two-week period from late June (2018) to July (2018), ABC, CBS, and NBC, the three major networks in the U.S., aired a combined 127 segments that discussed the heat wave then impacting much of the country. However, only one, CBS This Morning, mentioned two words that appear to get some people very charged up, and those two words are “climate change.”
There’s more to it than just the fact that some people get “charged up” when the words climate change are spoken on the air. According to Chris Hayes,...
Sustainable Hospitality Design: Catching Up
The world’s environment is affected primarily by real estate, transportation, and manufacturing. Due to the influence that these industries have on each other, it is clear that designing and operating sustainable buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. Some of the concerns addressed by sustainability practices include inefficient site planning; lack of smart growth; waste of water, electricity, and energy; overconsumption and excessive waste; not using sustainable materials; minimizing transportation; the lack of healthy indoor air quality; increased pollution; depletion of the ozone layer; and climate change.
Challenges & Misconceptions
The hospitality industry was slow to adopt sustainable operations and design because...
Kentucky’s Renovated Envi Boutique Hotel Has Come a Long Way Since It First Opened in 1967
HENDERSON, KY.—The Envi Boutique Hotel, located in Henderson, Kentucky, is proof that an old, tired hotel that has seen its share of flags can not only survive but thrive as a shiny, totally renovated green hotel striving to be greener.
According to Kiran Patel, owner of the property, the 54-room hotel was first opened in 1967 as a full-service Holiday Inn. It later was converted to a Best Western and finally two other brands before being renovated into the Envi Boutique Hotel in June of this year. “In 1994 we purchased the property and was with Super 8 for 23.5...
Cintas Goal: Net Zero GHG Emissions by 2050
CINCINNATI—Cintas Corp. announced its ambition to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
The company is also in the midst of a comprehensive, enterprise-wide review of its business model as it relates to environmental, social and governance (ESG) opportunities, improvements, and efficiencies. Cintas has been built on sustainable business practices, and the continuous improvement of its sustainability measures has been key to the company’s operational success over the years.
As its business review continues for the next 12 to 18 months, Cintas expects to better define its ESG journey, including identifying strategies to reduce its Scope 1 and 2...
Banyan Water Releases 2021 W.A.T.E.R. Report
AUSTIN, TEXAS—Banyan Water, a leading provider of data-driven water conservation software for the built environment, released its 2021 Banyan Water Analysis Trends and Emerging Risk (W.A.T.E.R.) Report.
Banyan’s report analyzes 2020 data from its portfolio of properties, identifying major enterprise-level water risks jeopardizing large-scale conservation amidst historic droughts. The report also identifies the millions of dollars in hidden costs properties face due to water mismanagement coupled with rising regional water rates.
“Severe droughts threatening water reserves are not just an issue. We’re combating a full crisis,” said Gillan Taddune, CEO of Banyan. “Corporations can no longer put water management on the...
A GreenCity in the Works for Richmond, Virginia Region
One of the most interesting sustainability-focused megaprojects in the works currently is called GreenCity and is planned for the Richmond, Virginia metro region. The eco-district project will include commercial, entertainment and residential developments. Two hotels are planned for GreenCity, with the first scheduled to be developed in the initial development sequence, and the second to follow as the market dictates. A 17,000-seat arena is planned. Also included will be retail space and a 40-acre, publicly accessible park system. Transit connections are currently under study, but when completed will allow for easy regional access via bus and other systems.
Some of...
Entrepreneur Combines Hemp, Organic Cotton in Wash, Hand & Bath Towels
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.—There have been many combinations of fibers that have come together in recent years to form towels that have been more sustainable in nature, but few companies have combined organic cotton and hemp. One such company is Anact. Anact was founded on Kickstarter by Brianna Kilcullen 2019. In that year she helped legalize hemp in Florida while founding her company. Prior to starting Anact, she worked in the apparel industry for prAna, a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear and Under Armour.
“I worked for Under Armour and got to see the impact of the textile industry,” Kilcullen says. “I ended...