Our next Boston Green Tourism meeting will be Thursday October 24 from 2:30 to 4:00 at Sheraton Boston in the Fairfax Room, floor 3. Directions are here.

Tom Laggan, North East Commercial Sales Manager, Pentair Aquatic Systems.   

Mr. Laggan will tell us why hoteliers should consider variable speed pumps and underwater LED lights for their swimming pools. These products offer outstanding energy savings. The ROI for incorporating them is often less than a year. Tom will also touch on saline pools and other areas of greener swimming pools.

Louis Diprete, Territory Sales Manager, Hobart

Mr. DiPrete will discuss pulping systems, also called de-watering systems. They remove the moisture from food waste, thereby cutting facilities' waste removal bills and the need for storage space. They also help companies comply with the MA one-ton-per-week food waste limit, which takes effect in July. Pulpers are used at InterContinental Boston Hotel and local universities and businesses.

Joseph Duquette, Lighting Sales Representative, Reflex Lighting Group.  

Mr. Duquette will discuss LED cove lighting and other lights that have recently become eligible for Mass Save incentives, because they received DLC and Energy Star certification. 

Host: Jeff Hanulec

All InterContinental Hotel Restaurants in U.S. and Canada are now Green Certified  

As of last month, all 26 InterContinental Hotel restaurants in the U.S. and Canada are certified by the Green Restaurant Association. The first hotel in the chain to be certified was InterContinental Boston's Miel Brasserie Provençale. The restaurant's impressive green program can be found here. 

To achieve GRA certification, the restaurants earn points in the categories of food, water, waste, energy, chemicals, and disposables. They also must eliminate the use of polystyrene foam and have a full-scale recycling program. 

Forty-two Boston restaurants are now GRA certified. The other certified Boston hotel restaurant is Brasserie Jo at The Colonnade Hotel.

Whole World Water: How Hotels Add a Revenue Stream While Helping People Access Clean Water  

Whole World Water is a charitable program of the hospitality industry. It launched in March. The program enables hotels to gain revenue, help address a critical world problem and garner favorable publicity.

"Today nearly 1 billion people don't have access to clean and safe water. WHOLE WORLD Water is a Campaign designed to unite the Hospitality and Tourism Industry on a non-competitive platform to eradicate this issue."

Participating hotels filter their own water, sell it and contribute 10% to the Whole World Water Fund. Richard Branson's 2-minute video, and the website link above, describe the program well.  

Minimizing Food Waste: Strategies to Build a Waste-Cutting Culture--A Hospitality & Gaming Sustainability Webinar

This webinar will be held on November 5 from 4:00 to 4:30. It will be similar to the presentation we had at our August 1 meeting.

"Did you know that most foodservice operations, including hotels and casinos, throw away four to 10 percent of the food they purchase before it ever reaches a guest? This pre-consumer waste, caused by overproduction, expiration, and spoilage, is taking a toll on your bottom line and your business' sustainable image. It's time to act-and reducing food waste in the kitchen starts with building a staff that is motivated and enthusiastic about food waste prevention...

This webinar will focus on food waste prevention techniques that are especially useful for foodservice operations in the hospitality and gaming industries. We will discuss specific tips for building a team that is engaged and committed to being part of the food waste solution, share stories of how other hospitality businesses are building food waste-fighting cultures in their kitchens, and explore how your operation can harness the power of data and automated tracking to reduce food waste once the waste-fighting culture has been established." 

Managing Your Office Equipment Plug Load         

October 24: Sheraton Boston

December 5: Renaissance Boston Waterfront