During this year’s HD Boutique in Miami, hospitality companies displayed new products and had a chance to look at the future of the industry. Shaw Hospitality, a vertically integrated mill providing flooring solutions, showed off its Eco Evolution line of carpet which they claim to be the hospitality industry’s first 100 percent sustainable print base. They are marketing Eco Evolution as a cradle-to-cradle product, meaning that at the end of the product’s life it does not end up in a landfill. We think this is an important step towards reducing the environmental impact of the hospitality industry, and just one of many tactics being employed to “green” the company.

Shaw Industries, which includes subsidiary Shaw Hospitality, has begun to highlight and discuss its sustainable practices via its recently release and first ever sustainability report. According to Shaw, since 2007, they have reclaimed more than 244 million pounds of post-consumer carpet; 85 percent of which then was recycled to produce new carpet. In the report, Shaw includes among its goals:

• Reducing total waste to landfill 60 percent by year-end 2011
• Committing to an overall goal of zero waste to landfill
• Reducing energy use 25 percent by 2017
• Sourcing 10 percent of all energy from renewable sources by 2017
• Reducing its water use 40 percent by 2016

These are lofty, but accomplishable goals if Shaw remains on its current path. By the end of this year, the company plans to reduce waste to landfill by 20 percent. And right up our alley, since 1999 they have cut water use by 45 percent. Shaw installed recovery basins in each finishing facility to capture waste water, which can be used instead of freshwater for some purposes. This process saves Shaw nearly 7,000 gallons of water per week at each carpet finishing facility.

Waste and resource reduction doesn’t simply make the company more environmentally friendly, it saves Shaw money. In 2008 alone, they saved $623,000 in energy costs through post-industrial carpet and “wood flour” waste-to-energy processes.

Any company that is reducing its environmental impact deserves a little credit. Shaw Industries deserves additional praise for its ambitious waste reduction goals and for recognizing the need to conserve water resources. Adopting AirDye® technology would further help Shaw meet its reduction targets, and would prevent chemicals and dyes from contaminating post-treatment water. However, we are impressed by Shaw’s efforts, and look forward to watching the company meet its reduction targets. Hopefully, others in the industry will follow suit.

What do you think of Shaw’s efforts and what is your company doing to reduce waste, energy use, and water consumption? Perhaps we’ll highlight your business next.

photo credit: pawpaw67 / flickr

Our team is just like the Energizer bunny, they keep going and going! Starting last week in Brussels, then to New York for Fashion Week and eco360, now they are in Miami Beach. Here is our set up for the 2009 Hospitality Design Boutique Expo and Conference.

Just before the show opens, we’re all set for the crowds.

And here they are!

Of course, everyone wants to get their AirDye hobo bag. Our hobo bags are made from recycled plastic water bottles and are dyed without using any water. Each bags saves 2.1 gallons of water and 9.1 of energy. Fashionable and eco-friendly.

AirDye bags modeled by Transprint’s Philip Hess, Richloom’s Sarah and Denise, and our own Bonnie Julian.

We did a “walk around” yesterday and wanted to share our observations from the 2009 Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference in Miami Beach. We’ll also point out a few of our licensees who are at HD Boutique. They include Duralee Contract, Fabricut Contract, GFI, Hunter Douglas Hospitality, Stacy Garcia, Richloom Contract Fabrics, and Charles Samelson.

First off, we can’t help but notice one of the show attendees is wearing a BCBG dress with a Transprint design. Transprint is everywhere!

Freeform furniture for indoor is quite popular.

Furniture is covered in vibrant, striking color. Don’t be afraid of a little, or a lot, of color.

Here’s Kravet Bedding’s Kerry Amplo with her fabulous Ikat Collection. Clearly color has a very strong place in the bedroom.

Bright color is even spreading into leather.

Milliken Carpet has brought in carpets with a burst of color and design, they even appear to be 3-D.

Outdoors isn’t being ignored either. Who wouldn’t love to lounge in a tropical setting in one of these innovative chairs?

Here is AirDye licensee Richloom Fabrics Group booth.

Richloom Contract’s Liz Claiborne Collection featuring warp printed designs with metallic yarns. Warp printing is when only the warp yarns are printed with a design before the fabric is woven. The result allows for a very silky look and then usually the weft (crosswise thread that interlaces the warp threads) yarns are a different color or, as in the Liz Claiborne fabric, it is metallic. Very unique and expensive process; only a few companies in the world have this capability.

Here’s a warp printed design on a bed scarf.

Personal care items are simple and clean, even green!