Dear Boston Green Tourism Members,

 

                                             Boston Green Tourism Meeting       

 

September 12, 2013

Edwin Medrano, Marc Cohn and Lauri Howe

 

 

Present: Michael Duffy, Edwin Medrano, Marc Cohn, Mitchell Dolgin, Geraldine Galvis Marcella MacKenzie, Tedd Saunders, Scot Hopps, Fabienne Eliacin, Mui Huang, Ray Burger, Steve Burrington, Sonia DeMarta, Alex Alexandrovich, Rob Guillemin, Karen Weber, Manuel Rivera, Heather Billings, Jack Fellman, Dick Fay, Holly Fowler, John Harris, Jeff Patterson, Tom Wallace, Dan Ruben. I missed one or two people.  

 

PRESENTATIONS

Sustainability Insights & Opportunities for Innovation

Holly Fowler, Independent Consultant; Formerly Senior Director of Sustainability & CSR for Sodexo North America

 

Ms. Fowler discussed her experience with advancing the green program for 6500 Sodexo sites. Her insights into food waste (slide 8) are timely for Massachusetts hotels.

       

Pillow Renovation and Sustainability

John Harris, President, Harris Pillow

 

Mr. Harris told us how pillow renovation is much cheaper than buying new pillows, and eliminates the need to throw pillows away. He restored a pillow in four minutes as we watched. New pillow renovation machines cost $4,450. Most hotels save that amount of money in less than a year by using them. Some hotel groups buy one machine for several hotels, or have their pillows restored by an outside service.

 

I recommend Mr. Harris's presentation and the associated video. 

 

A Brief Introduction to Window Film

Jeff Patterson, Dealer Development Representative at Solutia Inc., a subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Company  

Tom Wallace, Owner, Showroom Glass Coating.

                            

Mr. Patterson discussed a new window product that is appealing for hotels, because it both insulates windows and keeps out ultraviolet rays. Thus, it cuts energy bills in both winter and summer. It also reduces fading caused by sunlight. Several hotels and many other buildings have already installed it. The average ROI is 2.75 years.  

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) ranked Boston as the most energy efficient of the 34 most populous U.S. cities. It scored particularly well for its building and utility-based energy efficiency programs.  

ACEEE ranked Massachusetts at the best state for energy efficiency in 2011 and 2012.   

Clearly, the hotel sector has responded well to the city and state programs by sharply reducing its energy use. 

A Boston Globe story on Boston and Massachusetts' achievements in renewable energy and energy efficiency is here.    

Seaport Hotel Serves Beer Made from its Own Honey: Seaport   

Honey Ginger IPA  

The Seaport is collaborating with Long Trail Brewing Company on this beer that is served at Seaport's TAMO bar. The prized ingredient is 300 pounds of honey harvested last month from the Seaport's 11 rooftop beehives.

 

Several years ago, the Seaport's Matt Moore wondered whether the hotel's first hive of 90,000 bees would survive in their windy, urban location. Now we know that bees thrive in this habitat. They also prosper because of the care provided by the Seaport's Executive Steward and beekeeper, Edwin Medrano, The Seaport's bee population has surged to over a million!