Most businesses have at least part of their staff involved in programs that promote green initiatives. For the most part they are doing it because it is good for business. Occasionally there are businesses that have a true, vested interest in a better global climate. Many restaurants have been going greener as time goes on. Many of the efforts have resulted in better cuisine while others are done because they simply make sense. The restaurants that have been investing in green initiatives have been seeing more income from increased patronage.
There are three big ways in which restaurants have using green ideas: composting, recycling and growing their own produce. While not all methods will save your restaurant direct costs, as much as say if you were switching from a landline to a phone VoIP service, many of these initiatives still allow the restaurant to save money. As more high-end restaurants get into the swing, they set the bar for all of the rest of the restaurants to follow suit. Before long all restaurants might be required to follow the green protocols, but adoption takes time. The adoption of green initiatives has boomed, but it hasn’t taken over the majority of businesses, this is very similar to businesses switching to VoIP phone service, as those who have already taken action, have taken steps to make the world a better place.
Composting
Even in restaurants where most people have to control the urge to lick the plate, there is organic waste. This waste can be from the chefs preparing food in the kitchen or it can be from those who simply ordered more food than they could eat. Either way, the restaurant has the potential to do something with the material by starting a composting program. By making sure that all food waste goes into the same can, it is possible to collect the materials needed to grow more produce as well as to create energy from the heat generated from the compost material.
Recycling
Aluminum, steel, plastic and glass are all materials that are used every day as well as discarded every day by those working in kitchens. It is possible to separate out a few bins that can be labeled for recycling so that glass, aluminum, steel and plastics can be recycled. Many recyclers will even allow all the materials to be mixed into one container to avoid people not following the recycling program simply because they are lazy. It is a great way to show the community that the restaurant is doing its part.
Gardening
Growing the foods that are served to guests is a great way to not only make sure that you know what you are feeding your guests. It is also a great way to make sure that things like a compost pile will be put to good use. This way all of the things which normally would have gone into the trash will be turned into the food which will help you to grow the things which will go into your most celebrated dishes. It is always a great sell point to tell the guests that what they are eating at least partially comes from the gardens that are on site.
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Utilizing “green products” for cleaning, degreasing, sanitizing also help.
Doubling the useful life of your cooking oil by using the the revolutionary new fryer filters is yet another way. Hundreds of units coast to coast are currently use this cost-effective system, longer oil life, better quality cooking oil, eliminates cross over taste, etc.
Contact us for referrals on both. Thanks.
Was excited to read your headline, but disappointed in your substantiation of all the “many” “most” and “more”claims: Which restaurants? How much more traffic? How much more income? How do you qualify “better cuisine?”
Hi Monica,
Sorry I didn’t respond to you sooner. Thanks for pointing out some generic terms in the article If you check out the link from the composting section, you can find some great information on restaurants and cities implementing composting. Such as Rutabegorz, in Old Town Tustin.
As for better cuisine, I believe it is made with more sustainable and natural ingredients – without compromising taste.
Clear food purchasing policies. Providing info on the origin and verified sustainability claims of the food being served can help customers trust your menu aligns with their green values. Ensuring transparency and accountability in your food supply chains increases customer trust and loyalty – which means they’ll come back for more. Some good purchasing policy resources can be found at: http://www.sustainablefoodpolicy.org.
Innovative ways to further green practices and cut costs include: 1. Micro-filtration of fryer oil (VITO Filtration will cut waste of oil and their large plastic container by 50%, also reduce fryer energy use) 2. VeriPure water purification/disinfectant kills the bacteria and viruses on produce and meats eliminating waste from spoilage and allows purchase of more local foods with less preservatives.
Grey Plume restaurant located in Omaha Nebraska has been awarded the “greenest restaurant in America”. Check out their web-site for more details as well as a list of specific green initiatives.