PARIS—Accor has officially launched PLANET 21, a comprehensive program covering all of the Group’s environmental, social and community investment actions and placing sustainability at the core of its business strategy worldwide. With PLANET 21, Accor is making 21 commitments and the same number of quantified goals for the year 2015, including: employees trained in disease prevention in 95 percent of hotels, 80 percent of properties promoting balanced dishes; 85 percent of hotels using eco-labeled products; a 15 percent reduction in water consumption; and 10 percent decrease in energy use at Accor’s owned and leased hotels worldwide. The name PLANET...

VISTA, CALIF.—Waterless Co., Inc., the oldest and one of the largest companies in the United States manufacturing no-water urinals and other restroom products, announces the official launch of its new Facebook Fan page. The site has been in the planning stages for the past few months. The company already has a successful blog, which is primarily used to discuss water conservation and efficiency issues. According to Niki Bradley, marketing manager for Waterless, the goals of the new Facebook site are to foster interaction between the company and its customers and potential customers, bolster brand identity, and enhance customer service.“We...

FISH CAMP, CALIF.—Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts has earned double Silver LEED certification at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, an all-season resort located just outside of Yosemite National Park in Fish Camp, Calif. Both certifications follow a yearlong project that expanded Tenaya’s banquet, event and meeting spaces and office area, plus added a destination spa.Delaware North, which owns and operates Tenaya, followed a process laid out by its environmental program, GreenPath, to ensure environmental stewardship and measurable green practices. The company worked with Layton Construction Company and architect Peter Grove of Collaborative Design Studio.The Silver LEED-certified expansion brings Tenaya...

LAS VEGAS—Registration is now open for the Fifth Annual WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition, scheduled for October 3 to 5 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas. Full registration for the urban water efficiency conference includes admission to the WaterSense Partner of the Year Awards luncheon October 4, hosted by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program.Last year’s event drew nearly 1,100 participants from more than 30 states and nine nations. WSI 2011 also featured more than 130 professional sessions and an expo hall with more than 50...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—T&S Brass, a manufacturer of plumbing and foodservice equipment, recently launched its new EC-3122 above-deck electronic sensor faucet. With upgraded features and styling, the EC-3122 is the first in a new platform of above-deck electronic models to be added to the company’s ChekPoint sensor faucet line later this year.Designed with convenience, ease-of-maintenance, security and conservation in mind, the EC-3122 has all above-deck features, including a manual mixing valve built into the faucet body itself and above-deck electronics and programmable controls. These include water shut-off delay, auto timeout, sensor range and auto flush.Like other T&S ChekPoint faucets, the...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has added a Continental Girbau Vendor Case Study to its website. The case study profiles the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, and its replacement of aging, inefficient washers with more efficient Continental Girbau models and a water reclamation system. The installation is saving the hotel from 300,000 to 350,000 gallons of water each month. As part of the washer purchase, the hotel’s owners took advantage of a $29,000 rebate from the San Antonio Water System.The Westin’s laundry now features two 130-pound capacity Continental E-Series soft-mount washers; a 55-pound capacity Continental E-Series soft-mount washer;...

DALLAS—Kimberly-Clark Corp. announced its Water for Life focus area as part of the company’s Sustainability 2015 strategy. The announcement came during Earth Week last month to draw attention to the global importance of fresh water and the sustainable management of fresh water resources. Kimberly-Clark’s Water for Life program provides a platform on which to collaborate with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to provide clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education to communities around the world. “Water was chosen as a sustainability focus area, as the availability of potable water is a serious global issue and also has a significant impact on our...

TRENTON, N.J.—The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in concert with several other state and federal agencies, is launching a program designed to help New Jersey hotel owners and operators increase energy efficiency and cost savings through the utilization of green practices. Participating hotels in the DEP’s Garden State Green Hotel Project will have the opportunity to learn of profiting through sustainability in several workshops and training sessions scheduled in the coming months. In addition, 120 hotels will receive no-cost and no-obligation environmental and energy reviews that could serve as a first step to green certification from various programs...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—Chicago Faucets, a manufacturer of commercial faucets, introduces its new 3500 Series water conserving metering faucets. Made of ECAST brass, the 3500 Series provides a modern look and water savings.The Chicago Faucets 3500 Series saves water with a 0.5 GPM (1.9 L/min) outlet. The self-closing MVP metering cartridge provides precise water flow and shuts off automatically for even greater water savings. The time-tested MVP mechanism is easy to adjust, and spare parts are readily available for quick change-outs, reducing downtime and lowering maintenance costs.A solid ECAST brass, chrome-plated body provides durability while meeting local requirements for the...

MINNEAPOLIS—Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, which is currently undergoing a $25 million renovation of the hotel’s guestrooms, suites, public areas, and restaurants, announced that the renovation will include a variety of environmentally sustainable initiatives to reduce its ecological footprint. The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis Green Team has also introduced a number of eco-friendly protocols and service projects including extensive energy and recycling conservation programs.Energy-saving initiatives from the renovation include converting all of the back of house lighting to LED, adding low flow plumbing fixtures for enhanced water savings (1.6 gal/flush), insulated drapery, closet light sensors, vending misers in all vending machines, new...