Earth Day is fast approaching and kids are talking in school about planting trees, moving more of their garbage to recycling, and how to use less water.  It makes us think about how Houston’s can help the world reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Here are a few tips for both distributors and restaurant operators to make a greener world.

Straw Dispenser, image courtesy of Vollrath

Reduce

There are many ways to reduce waste in restaurants.  It could be as simple as making straws optional rather than laying them on the table to languish in food splatter and never be used, but must be thrown away.  Instead operators could look into getting a Vollrath straw dispenser to allow customers to choose if they want a straw.

To reduce energy consumption look at your kitchen’s equipment; as it may be time to either upgrade or replace it.  There are many things you should know before going green. Do some research on either an energy efficient option, or possibly something that better accommodates your usage.  Figure out what works best for your kitchen before you just buy the recommended equipment by the equipment company.  Remember, reducing energy isn’t only about Energy Star labels but rather labels but how the equipment is being used.

Restaurant managers could look at consolidating deliveries or purchasing products from a local and sustainable farm.  Consolidating deliveries will lower the business’s carbon footprint or make a kitchen more efficient with less time needed to unload and restock constantly.  A bonus is purchasing from local farms can give the restaurant a new edge in the farm-to-table trend.  However, each restaurant operator must do their research to make sure the farm’s values align with the business’s values.  For instance, if the farm uses pesticides that hurt bees and the restaurant is focused on no animal cruelty, it might be a little amiss to use that farm’s products.

Reuse

Earth Day is a great day to announce that your restaurant is moving away from disposable dishware and utensils to washable dishware and flatware.  Even some fast food restaurant chains are moving to using dishes and utensils, like Café Yumm!®.  It will take a little more time on the dishwasher’s end but it could also save money on purchasing disposable plates and utensils constantly.

Image courtesy of Torani

If you have broken dishes or product that is empty we have a few ideas from Pinterest and beyond that could take old bottles and cups to a new decorative level.  In Recycle! Alternative Uses for Product & Packaging we talk about options like making birdfeeders from used Torani® bottles, Libbey® wine glass candle holders, and jar lamps.  If any of your broken dishware is colorful it could be used as part of a mosaic for your walls or a new art piece.

Have you thought about reusing your food?  Yes, many of you just fainted with shock because of issues with the health department but I promise that isn’t the angle.  Does your business have too much food and won’t use or ship it all this week?  It may be time to talk to a non-profit or soup kitchen in your area to see if rather than throwing out your food you could donate it to them.  There are many options for donating to charity, so talk with your local charities to see how you can help. Remember this is something that not only helps keep the world clean but can possibly be deducted from you taxes.

Recycle

Recycle is the go-to idea whenever the topic of being eco-friendly comes around.  Yes, you could create a compost pile but there are many other options that restaurants have. For instance, make sure the products your restaurant purchases are either made from recycled material, or are compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable.

For those who just can’t shake using disposable dishware and utensils, WNA has utensils line EarthSense™ made from a product of corn and other vegetables that is compostable.  If you still need that Java Jacket® for your coffee then you can pick up a set made from recycled paper.  To clean up your act you could look at Zephyr’s SorbUp™ Mop Heads that are made of 100% recycled material.  Even the whipped cream chargers from iSi North America are made of 100% recycled steel.

Finally, maybe it is time that you look through your trash to see what is recyclable.  There could be glass or plastic bottles from Torani that can be put in the right bin.  It may be time to remind serving staff that if napkins were only used to clean up only a water spill they are still recyclable. Also remember that your fluorescent bulbs and old equipment may be recyclable as well; just check with your local electric utility office.

Ready for Earth Day?

There are so many ways to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.  Your restaurant or warehouse could make a few modifications to brag about on Earth Day.  But remember as ideas like eco-friendly and sustainability become more expected than trendy, it may be time to look and see if your business practices and values need updating too.

Call Houston’s today to see how our products can fit into your new environmental and sustainability plans.