Hotel chains and casinos are adding low-energy lighting to guest rooms, putting solar panels on roofs and using hotel limousines powered by compressed natural gas, but these sustainable practices could be bolstered by the use of third-party standards that measure hotels against one another, writes Marc Gunther. "[I]ndustry executives cite three reasons why they have begun to take action on the sustainability front: to save money, attract and motivate their employees, and respond to demand from business and leisure travelers," Gunther writes

Walmart is one of the companies diverting tons of excess food to farmers in southwestern Pennsylvania who are turning it into usable compost in their fields. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports

In response to cries of animal mistreatment, some winter-wear companies have sworn off live-plucked, force-fed down, while others have dropped it completely.

In the Delhi region alone, Indian project partners of the Sustainable Water Resources Management project implemented 85 different "low-hanging fruit" recommendations resulting in a 765 percent return on investment in one year and an average payback time of 11 days per project, SIWI says.

The Rainforest Alliance will evaluate the progress of Asia Pulp and Paper's forest conservation policy and commitments, including its pledge last year to stop clearing natural forests across it supply chains in Indonesia, the company announced in its one-year report.

DuPont Fabros Technology's Ashburn Corporate Campus (ACC) now uses reclaimed water for the four data centers with evaporative cooling plants.

Wal-Mart, Target and other major retailers have discovered that greener chemicals and concerned citizens create a potent formula for change

Necker Island, a small Caribbean island owned by business icon Richard Branson, has signed a contract to slash its diesel fuel use by building a renewable energy-powered microgrid.

Wendy's began requiring its suppliers to submit quarterly progress reports detailing the percentage of gestation-crate-free pork they have provided. The company has set a goal of eliminating the use of gestation crates from its supply chain by the end of 2022

United Airlines will replace its Styrofoam beverage cups with recyclable alternatives developed by MicroGREEN.

Interface announced that its Dutch manufacturing facility now runs on 100% renewable energy, sends zero waste to landfills, and uses almost no water in its manufacturing processes. Interface has pledged eliminate any negative impact it has on the environment by 2020 under its Mission Zero strategy.

A team of volunteers in the United States launched SolarCoin, a virtual currency similar to Bitcoin that will reward companies or individuals that generate solar energy. Solar producers will receive 1 SolarCoin for each renewable energy certificate they earn, thereby improving the economics of solar energy.

A coalition of investors concerned about the lack of reported progress in mitigating the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing operations have submitted shareholder resolutions targeting organizations that received failing scores in a recently-released report. Read more: Fracturing and drilling companies "owe" investors disclosure - FierceEnergy http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/fracturing-and-drilling-companies-owe-investors-disclosure/2014-02-11#ixzz2tFdqgahc Subscribe at FierceEnergy

Apple has released its annual Supplier Responsibility report, detailing its monitoring of supply partner labor practices, compliance with regulations and Apple's standards of business, the environmental impact of its product components and more. Apple highlighted its ongoing education investments in the report, detailing the growth in its worker rights and skills training up top.

The Volkswagen Group has joined the Clean Shipping Network, an association of cargo owners, and will use the Clean Shipping Index (CSI) assessment tool to analyze and reduce the environmental impact of marine shipment.

Stricter regulations, the explosive growth of new hydraulic fracturing shale oil and gas wells and limited available water resources are driving the popularity of centralized wastewater management in North America, according to Pollution Engineering magazine

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), an aerospace production technology, has the potential to build light, sustainable parts and reduce a company's carbon footprint, according to a study by EOS and Airbus Group Innovations, previously EADS Innovation Works.

The USDA has made $20 million available to California ranchers and farmers to fund agricultural water conservation to combat the effects of the statewide drought.

Caesar's Entertainment is the first company to sign up for the EPA's WaterSense H2Otel Challenge for organizations to encourage hotels to use best management practices that will save water and money, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Columbia, Md.,-based W.R. Grace & Co. under its bankruptcy plan of reorganization, paid over $63 million to the US government to resolve claims for environmental cleanups at approximately 39 sites in 21 states, the US Department of Justice and the EPA announced today