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  • Michael Oshman

Green Resolutions for Restaurants


Did you know that the U.S. restaurant industry produces about 100 billion pounds of trash a year and consumes 1/3rd of all the electricity in the retail sector? The impact that restaurants have on our planet is significant, but there are a variety of ways that restaurateurs can promote sustainable practices at their restaurant.

The GRA has created a list of some Green Resolutions that restaurants can implement in 2017. What is your green resolution for the year? We’d love to hear! Tag #DineGreen17 on your green resolution to be featured on our social media.

Some ideas for restaurants…

  • Tell one fellow restaurateur about the GRA

  • Replace conventional light bulbs with LEDs in restrooms

  • Choose to replace one conventional food item with a sustainable alternative, highlight it on the menu, and see if it impacts customers’ choices

  • Request more sustainable food options and more transparency from distributors

  • Set a waste diversion goal (compost all produce, request a waste audit from your hauler, consider food donations)

  • Quarterly recycling/composting staff education sessions

  • Install a bike rack on-site to encourage alternate forms of transportation

  • Install lighting or HVAC motion sensors

  • Create incentives for customers to use reusable take-out containers, mugs, etc.

  • Incorporate a “Head-to-Tail” goal when creating menu items – try to utilize all parts of your food products on the menu

  • Add one vegetarian main dish to your menu

  • Educate customers on your environmental steps with a focus on transparency

  • Eliminate one disposable or single use product

  • Phase out bottled water

  • Remove chemical sanitizer if you have a dual-temp dishwasher

  • Swap out spray valves for a higher efficiency models

  • Fix leaky pipes, faucets, and toilets

  • Incentivize carpool/bike/public transit for staff

We hope you have a wonderful and green New Year! Have any other ideas? Feel free to share in the comments section below. Remember to tag your Green Resolution social media posts with #DineGreen17.

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