I have done this twice now and I think it is a great way to get the job done while sparing your back.  I am concerned however, that on both occasions I have done this, I have found pieces of plastic garbage underground.  This time I took pictures.  My brother and I removed a broken pole from the fence in our parent’s back yard.  My parents moved in to this house in the year 2000 and from the look of the fence it was at least 5 years old when they got there.  This means that the garbage I found has been buried for a minimum of 17 years and has not even begun to breakdown!  The writing on the package is still legible.  I’m wondering to myself, how much plastic junk is there buried underground?   If this stuff lasts forever, what kind of impact does it have on the environment when it’s buried?  If I found 3 pieces in just this small hole, there must be quite a lot buried around the globe.

The only way to stop plastic pollution is to refuse to use disposable plastic and products that come wrapped in it.  I already know it’s clogging up landfills and Oceans; now during this fence post project I learn that there is probably a large amount of plastic buried in the Earth.

This framework includes the use of shower dispensers to help reduce the pollution from guest amenities.  Best Western understands the environmental impact caused from single use plastic amenity bottles, and has chosen to give owners several options to eliminate the wasteful practice.  Dispenser Amenities’ WAVE and Classic product lines are both recommended by Best Western as appropriate ways of reducing plastic waste from membership hotels.

The issue of disposable plastic is making headlines across the world.  Consumers everywhere are starting to speak out against single-use plastic items.  Many communities have gone as far as outlawing the use of disposable grocery bags and plastic water bottles.  Individual amenity bottles fall under the same category as these items and hotels worldwide are sending almost 10 billion bottles to landfills annually.

In a recent interview, Tim Rodgers, General Manager of the eco-friendly trendsetting Best Western Plus Kamloops British Columbia told us how he feels WAVE Dispensers benefit his hotel:

  “The implementation of soap dispensers in the Best Western PLUS Kamloops Hotel has nearly eliminated the cost of wasted soap at our hotel.  When you multiply our 81 rooms with our 80% occupancy, then take into account that many individually packaged guest amenity products must be disposed of long before they are completely used, our WAVE dispensers are a much more effective way to deliver the soap in the exact quantity when it is needed.  Although, the real benefit as I see it, is that our hotel is eliminating the environmental damage that would have been caused from having to dispose of the packaging from single use amenities”.

The following quote was taken from a testimonial letter sent to Dispenser Amenities by Aaron Sheldon, owner of Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn, London Ontario:

“We now have 172 rooms, all with the Dispenser Amenities system. Throughout our experience with this product and this company, we have been completely satisfied. The Dispensers perform without problem and both our guests and our housekeeping staff have very positive comments about this approach to shower liquids.”

It’s time to join up with the rest of your Best Western team and no longer contribute to this environmental disaster.  The Best Western Brand has paved the way by approving the dispenser system, but it is still up to the individual owners to convert their hotels.  The good news is – Dispenser Amenities’ products will save your hotel money!  In addition to the respect gained from your guests for helping save the environment, you will be saving your own expense.  The industry average of liquid wasted by throwing away partially used disposable bottles is 70-75%.  That number represents potentially saving 75% of your entire guest amenities expense!  Both WAVE and Classic dispensers ensure that 0% of the liquid is wasted and 100% is consumed by the guest.  They are beautifully designed and enhance the appearance of any shower or vanity.

Dispenser Amenities is also extending an offer to any and all Best Western locations called the Pennies Per Room program.  For just pennies per occupied room, Dispenser Amenities will provide high quality bulk liquids with no capital cost for the approved dispensers.  This is a great opportunity because, the money spent on liquid amenities will be less then you currently spend when the amount wasted from single use bottle disposal is factored in, and you get designer dispensers for your entire hotel included in the deal for free.  In effect, we are rewarding you for saving money!

We hope you have found this article informative, and would like to encourage all Best Western locations to contact International Sales Manager, Warren Hodgson warren@dispenser-amenities.com and start saving money while reducing plastic pollution today!

AVIVA Dispensers, manufactured and distributed by Dispenser Amenities, are both locking and durable.  They are made to withstand the abuse that commercial use will put them through. With this tamper-proof durability however, comes an elegant, beautiful design.  Available on one, two and three chamber sizes, AVIVA Dispensers mount on the wall using silicone glue and double-faced tape.  The Dispenser mounts instantly and securely on any wall surface with no drilling or wall damage whatsoever.

Hotels can also brand the AVIVA Dispenser with customized faceplates.  Dispenser Amenities will work with hotel marketing staff to design a look that personalizes the Dispenser for the hotel and/or the liquid brand.  Our custom faceplates display quality to your guests and let them know that brand name quality, and visibility was not sacrificed when converting from individual bottles.

AVIVA Dispensers can accommodate any and all bath liquids.  Buying liquids in bulk will further increase savings pertaining to guest amenities.  Dispenser Amenities is a manufacturer and distributor of three popular bath liquid brands: WindRiver, WAVE, and Green Tea.  We are also the exclusive distributor to the Hotel industry of world renowned H2O+ liquids in bulk quantities.

We invite you to visit our website www.dispenser-amenities.com and see how, together, we can help keep the travel industry sustainable.  This product does not stop with hotels; it is also commonly used in cruise lines, resorts,  gyms, and spas. 

No Matter the Color of Your Dispensers…They’re GREEN!™

This cannot continue!

The Eco-Travelers Club is a small group of travelers who are dedicated to solving this problem.  Our company – Dispenser Amenities – provides a solution to the disposable plastic amenities disaster and we are asking you to lend your voice to the issue.  We are currently running a contest event on Facebook and for every entry we will donate $1 to the Plastic Pollution Coalition.  We are giving away 10 of our luxurious eco-friendly shower dispensers every month, and a grand prize of $500 cash!  Come join us at www.facebook.com/ecotravelers to enter our charity contest and help us raise awareness about this issue.

When I went to check my Pinterest page today I got a big surprise – the site has a new design!  Earlier this week co-founder Ben Silbermann announced that Pinterest would be re-designed, and now today is the day. 

The new look of Pinterest puts more focus on the Pinner’s profile once landing on their page.  When looking at a profile the first thing I notice is the giant banner that spreads across the whole page.  This is the user information that previously was displayed on the side bar.  A Pinner’s name is now the title feature on the page, with a brief description about them below.  Directly underneath the description there are small callouts for Facebook and Twitter (if the accounts have been linked to Pinterest), as well as the Pinner’s location.  To the left of the banner is the Pinner’s profile picture and to the right is the “repins from” window with links to other profiles the user has recently repinned.

I can’t help but notice the similarities of the new Pinterest board’s appearance to that of a Facebook photo album posted on the new Timeline.  Both show a featured large-sized picture with several thumb-sized pictures beneath.  Both the new Facebook and the new Pinterest are great in my book!  Corporate users can especially benefit from the new Pinterest look, because their brand name, picture, and mission are promoted more prominently on their profile page.  Displaying the “repins from” window in such a visible position also gives companies a better opportunity to obtain more followers for their entire profile, not just their individual boards.

So here’s my advice.  If you’re into marketing but not into Pinterest yet, get there!  All it takes is one user with a lot of followers to repin your post and it can go viral in a couple of minutes.  The best part of it is each copy (repin) of your original post will be linked back both to your Pinterest profile, and the website it was pinned from.  So make sure you Pin your pictures/videos from your website and not upload them.  If have uploaded a Pin you can still link it back to your website by clicking edit on the Pin and then pasting URL in the link window.  Happy pinning!

Come take a look at the Eco-Travelers Pinterest Page at http://pinterest.com/ecotravelers/

Warren will debut a brand new Dispenser Amenities product at the show. The much anticipated AVIVA III Silver Satin with Basket will be previewed for all attending.  This luxurious Dispenser gives guests the convenience of three chambers to accommodate three different liquids, as well as two baskets for guests to place their own personal items.  Warren will also be presenting Dispenser Amenities’ WAVE aromatherapy products and the WindRiver Spa collection of products.

As well as unveiling the new Dispenser design and our own liquid products, Warren will proudly be partnering with Gilchrist & Soames to pair their “Bee Kind” liquid product line, with our WAVE Dispenser in the ADA (American Disabilities Act) Bathroom showcase.  He will also be presenting a separate bathroom featuring Gilchrist & Soames “Italian Bergamot” liquid with the AVIVA III Solid Satin Silver Dispenser.  Also being presented by Warren, our new H2O+ bath liquids – “Bath Aquatics” and “SPA” available to the Hotel industry exclusively through Dispenser Amenities.  These liquids are both available in bulk and manufactured by our newest partner H2O+.  Another partner that we are so pleased to be working with at the show is Ray Burger from Pineapple Hospitality.  He will be Presenting Pineapple’s own “Earth Perfect” liquids delivered with Dispenser Amenities WAVE Dispenser product.

All together Warren will be presenting 7 unique liquid lines in 7 different Dispenser configurations.  This show is a first of its kind, and we are truly excited to be a part of the new trend in tradeshows. We encourage all hoteliers to attend and participate.

While browsing posts addressing plastic pollution on Pinterest.com I came across some artwork done by artist Alejandro Duran.  I was immediately taken in by the startling beauty this man has created from washed up garbage!  Duran is a photographer, filmmaker, poet and educator working currently at the International Center of Photography and The Museum of Modern Art.  With his latest project titled “Washed Up”, he has taken on the responsibility of demonstrating to the world, through art, the disastrous effects of plastic pollution.  His art is described as “color-based, site-specific sculptures that conflate the hand of man and nature, distributing the objects the way the waves would, like wind-scattered seed or roots tunneling through soil, echoing the organic forms of the surrounding landscape”. (http://www.washed-up-project.com) It delivers a meaningful message to which we should all pay attention.  I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Duran over the phone and he told me he found his inspiration when he “went to the beaches of Sian Ka’an, Mexico and was completely blown away by the amount of garbage that was littering a federally protected biosphere!”  He then, starting in 2010, began transforming what would be pollution in to inspirational sculptures. 

Duran is also founder of “The Digital Project”, an initiative to “improve education through the creative use of technology”. (http://www.thedigitalproject.com/)  This project added excitement and motivation to the learning process at several educational institutions.  They documented musician KRS ONE’s motivational speech at a talent show at East Side Community High School in New York City.  During his speech, KRS ONE told the youth “the more you validate, compliment and inspire your own friends, the more you create wealth and opportunity around you”. The project also collaborated on a program called “Think Globally, Act Locally” where Columbia University’s CEES went to the Secondary School for Journalism, New York City, for a unit which combined environmental knowledge with the teacher’s college reading and writing workshop.  These past works are so relevant because now Duran is demonstrating that the values taught to youth by his “Digital Project” can work for him in such an inspirational way with his “Washed Up” project. 

Duran is looking to sell some of his prints to make the project more sustainable and has a show coming up in June 2012 at Calumet Gallery, New York City as part of En Foco’s New Works Award.  The purchasing of this art is directly enabling the existence of projects like this one and the anti-plastic pollution movement, in general.

The disasters associated with plastic pollution are not limited to Mexico, they are occurring world-wide.  Upon entering the ocean, plastic pollution is utilizing a vehicle which will transport its ugly presence globally.  When iconic figures like Duran lend their talent to a worthy cause like eliminating plastic pollution, it helps others realize what is going on.  I encourage everyone to seek out and purchase art by Duran and support this project in any way possible.  Drawing attention to the problem is half the battle.  In this case Duran certainly demonstrates the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words”. 

After having just returned from an eye-opening journey to the TRYP New York City South Times Square South Hotel Dispenser Amenities International Sales Manager Warren Hodgson had a lot to talk about.

From the first minute you walk in the door you know this hotel is like no other.  At first glance, you notice a full wall of big screen TVs and think to yourself – “What’s this all about?”  Aside from being able to watch regular programming, these TVs serve a unique purpose.  When you check in at TRYP, you are given a password to TRYP’s own social network called “Lobby Friend”.  Similar to Twitter, users of this network can post messages from their profiles, but you have to be a guest or staff member to join this network.  When you post a message, it is routed directly to the televisions in the lobby.  Both other guests and staff may then respond to your message from their own profile.  If you need advice, want to send a message about a social event, have questions for the staff, or have anything else you want to communicate to the hotel’s community, all you need is your mobile device and “Lobby Friend”.

Once you begin the check-in process you are now faced with a choice; which type of luxurious room would you like:  The stylish standard sized TRYP room, a larger sized Premium room with enhanced amenities and a better view; the large sized Fitness room with all the perks of the Premium room plus an in-suite exercise machine and workout gear; or the Family room, with bunk beds and everything else you need for the whole family?  All the rooms are equipped with the latest security features including a laptop-sized safe, and radio frequency keycards. 

On the main floor of the hotel is the Gastro Bar that features various types of mouth-watering local drinks and cuisine including Warren’s favorite – the roasted brussel sprouts with pork belly and Brooklyn Lager to wash it down, as well as Spanish and International Tapas.  It has a modern look to it with a clear grand feeling of the New York City experience.

There is no way to talk about the TRYP New York Hotel without mentioning how beautiful the bathrooms are.  I have included a picture shown to the right.  These are some of the most amazing hotel guest bathrooms in the world!  I had to include this picture because the red tiling that matches the shower head gives the whole room such an inviting look and is highlighted beautifully by the AVIVA III Satin Silver Custom Dispenser.  Every one of the bathrooms in all of TRYP’s 173 rooms are outfitted with Dispenser Amenities products allowing the hotel to save 60,000 partly used soap bars with wrappers, 88,000 traditional disposable amenity shampoo bottles, and 66,000 ounces of unused liquids from becoming pollution had they chosen to go with a disposable bottle amenity program!  As well as saving the environment though their amenity choices, TRYP has also decided to finish their main lobby with wood that by vast majority was re-claimed.  They also use water-saving shower heads.

On Warren’s last day at the TRYP hotel, he asked a concierge named Cari if she could suggest something fun to do for his last few hours in New York.  She kindly referred him to a popular tourist attraction called the Highline, a historic elevated freight rail line that has been preserved by New York City. After arriving at the Highline, Warren enjoyed it so much that he used the “Lobby Friend” application to thank Cari and inform other guests about what a great attraction it was.  Some guests responded to Warren’s message with questions about the Highline.  He engaged them in a conversation about it and several of them ended up coming down to enjoy the site with him.

The TRYP’s expansion to New York City is an excellent addition to their already famous hotel chain.  New York is one of the world’s most visited places and a perfect spot for one of the prestigious TRYP hotels.  Here at Dispenser Amenities we are very proud to be a small part of this fabulous attraction!

Glenn Hasek of Green Lodging News recently ran an article about Ben Bethel, owner of The Clarendon Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ben’s passion on the issue of small plastic bottle waste comes through loud and clear, as he states that by changing to amenity dispensers, his property has reduced trash volume by six dumpsters per year!  When you consider that this plastic bottle waste is costly to manufacture, costly to transport and costly to dispose of, he is saving on his bottom line as well as saving the environment.  When he purchases liquids in bulk rather than little bottles, the savings are considerable.

Following is a quote from Glenn’s article.

“Perhaps no other topic gets Bethel going more than the amenity dispensers versus the little plastic bottles. He says amenity dispensers reduce the risk of slip and fall injuries from bottles and caps laying around on tub/shower floors.  He adds that they also reduce the amount of time housekeepers have to spend bent over, cleaning shampoo and other liquid spills.  Bethel advocates the total elimination of individual plastic amenity bottles…even if it takes a legislative act to outlaw them!”

We couldn’t agree more!  Ben “gets it”!

(The above photo shows our Dispenser Amenities “birding” team on the Pacific coast south of Lima, Peru in January 2012.)