Sustainable restaurant dinner table

5 Steps to a More Sustainable Restaurant

Sustainable restaurant table

 

Sustainability is a hot topic right now across almost every industry throughout the world. It seems everyone is doing their part to mitigate their environmental footprint in order to ensure a brighter future for generations to come. A strong push for a more sustainable restaurant will not only help the environment, but also make a positive impact on your bottom line. Here’s 5 simple steps you can take in order to make your restaurant more sustainable in 2019.

 

1.Buy Local

Buying local has many benefits for everyone because it leaves a lower carbon footprint than non-local products. Purchasing local helps cut down on transportation waste as well as packaging, and processing. Additionally, local businesses are statistically more likely to reuse and recycle materials. Visit your local farmer’s market to take advantage of your local offerings. Often times a quick Google search can help you find a farmers market near you.



2. Switch to reusable and/or recycled materials

Try using linens instead of paper napkins. When printing out your daily menus, look into recycled paper. Instead of plastic straws, plastic utensils and to-go containers consider using recycled cardboard, plant based or paper-based alternatives which most people find functions just as good as their plastic counterparts.



3. Switch to Smart Lighting

Smart light bulbs can make a tremendous impact on your restaurants power consumption. They regulate the power output of each bulb to conserve energy. You may have to pay a little more upfront for the smart bulbs, but they do last longer and are more efficient in the long run. These smart bulbs also come with some useful and convenient features such as being able to dim the bulbs from an app on your phone.



4. Switch to Rechargeable Flameless Candles

Candles are another consumable product that produce a staggering amount of waste year after year. In fact, the average 48 table restaurant will dispose of thousands of candles every single year. Additionally, the more popularized fuel cell oil candles are made of plastic and paraffin oil which contaminates the containers and prevents them from being recyclable if not cleaned out thoroughly. Consider switching to rechargeable tea light candles to cut down on candle waste for 5+ years.



5. Educate your team

Have you heard the phrase, “It takes a village”? Use this mantra in your restaurant when it comes to sustainability. Train your staff on the things they can do individually to help create a more sustainable workplace. You will see much more efficient positive results with the whole team on board. We all want to move towards improving our way of life and leaving this place better than we found it. Restaurants are helping us move in that direction, be it from nixing plastic straws, recycling, to buying ingredients from sustainable sources and reducing waste to encouraging a healthy lifestyle, restaurants have been busy finding ways to keep the environment and sustainability at the forefront of operations.

As you can see, going green is not as difficult as you may have thought. Becoming a more sustainable restaurant will satisfy your guests and improve your bottom line. Most importantly, you're doing your part for the planet.

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