Meet Green at the Willard

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Now you can be fancy, productive…and green. The Willard Green Meeting is an eco-conscious meeting space that offers sustainable food, beverages, supplies, amenities, team-building eco-opportunities, and vision breaks (nature-focused breaks–themes currently include the Eco Break, DC Experience, and Mount Vernon).

“As many organizations undertake numerous corporate social responsibility efforts, The Willard Green Meeting serves to reflect our clients’s objectives by helping to neutralize environmental footprints and enhance eco-consciousness,” said Hervé Houdré, General Manager.

The International Hotel & Restaurant Association recently awarded the Willard InterContinental with its Environmental Award for Hospitality Sustainability. Some of the hotels achievements include 100% wind energy to power hotel, 10% reduction in electricity consumption due to the use of compact fluorescent lights, conversion to green cleaning products, elimination of oil-based paints, 123 tons of recycled waste, 17 tons of composted organic waste and 100,000 gallons of water savings, among others. Here’s more on how to green your meetings.

5 tips for being more sustainable

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

You’ve likely heard the term “sustainable” about a million times in the past few years, but what in the heck does it mean? The most widely accepted definition is that “sustainability is the concept of meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The good news is that it’s easy to take steps that will turn you from a resource-guzzling biped to an informed, conscientious, and planet-friendly creature.

As this article points out, for many people, sustainability starts with food. Paying attention to where your food comes from, eating more locally, and eschewing fast food chains in favor of independent restaurants are all ways that you can start to be more sustainable.

Here are a few simple changes—from how you commute to what you eat for dinner—that can make a big difference.

  • Get a better buzz. When you need that caffeine fix, choose fair trade and locally grown coffee and tea. And, free yourself from the shackles of disposable cups by bringing your own cup or stainless steel thermal mug.
  • Dress for less. Consider consignment or gently-used clothing and furniture instead of buying brand new stuff. Our blog pal over at Righteous [re[]Style has oodles of great ideas from buying on eBay to decking yourself out in vintage duds from Eastern Market.
  • Buy local. Did you know that most food travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your table? That’s a long haul that uses up tons of energy and contributes to pollution. Plus, local food generally uses less packaging, is fresher and tastier, and comes in more varieties. You can find locally grown food at area farmer’s markets or through community supported agriculture (CSA) in your area.
  • See the light. Talk about a bright idea. Replace all the bulbs in your home with energy-saving compact florescent lightbulbs. The bulbs, which can replace incandescent, halogen and other electric lights around your house, use between 60% and 80% less energy than their incandescent counterparts. Plus, they typically last between 6,000 and 15,000 hours, compared to 1,000 hours or so for incandescent bulbs.
  • Get trashed. You know you’re supposed to recycle plastic and paper, but sometimes even with the best of intentions, those items find their way into the regular trash bin, don’t they? Make it a no-brainer to do the right thing by outfitting your kitchen and office with a stylish and functional recycling trash masher.

My articles on Planet Green

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Discovery recently launched a new channel, Planet Green, and I’ve written a few posts that may be of interest to some of you:

The Perks of Greenovating
Get Ready to Greenovate
The Perfect Eco Footprint
Green Fuels of the Future

Marriott Embraces Greener Practices

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Bethesda-based hospitality giant Marriott International has just pledged $2 million to protect the Brazilian rain forest and promises that by the end of the year its guests will be able to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their hotel stays. According to the company’s press release, “Marriott is taking new steps to reduce the company’s water, waste and energy consumption; green its supply chain; build greener hotels; and engage employees and guests to take action.”

The company’s five-point strategy to reduce and offset its global environmental footprint, which it has calculated at 2.9 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually includes carbon offsets, green buildings, recycling programs, and more.

A Real Beauty

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

There are plenty of salons and day spas that have “natural” treatments, but it’s rare to find one that not only offers a plethora of organic treatments and products, but that also is organic throughout, from the towels to the walls. Honi Borden, owner of DermaHairCare, a medi spa in Falls Church, VA, has clearly put a tremendous amount of thought and love into her business and it shows.

Honi has carefully edited the product lines available at the salon to only include those that are organic and as earth-friendly as possible such as Suki, Aubrey Organics, and Perfect Organics. In keeping with a holistic green philosophy, she has implemented a number of green initiatives into her salon such as purchasing renewable energy and using recycled and biodegradable material whenever possible.

And last but certainly not least, there are several treatments that you won’t find anywhere else in the area including Chocolate Sun herbal spray tan, Aqua detox (ion feet and body therapy), Pedikarma, and sanitary hot soy wax hand and feet treatment. So if you are looking for a truly holistic, blissful, and organic experience, check out this little gem just outside the beltway.