Implementing Sustainability in Foodservice Industry

1. Chapter 9 Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

2. History of Sustainability • Although the term “going green” has become popular recently, the concept of protecting and preserving the environment has been around in the United States for a long time. • In 1864, the U.S. Congress began creating national parks. • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was founded in 1970 and charged with protecting human health and the environment: • Sustainability refers to the practices that meet current resource needs without compromising the ability to meet future needs. • Conservation is the practice of limiting the use of a resource. • Restaurant and foodservice operations rely on many natural resources, such as natural gas, wind power, nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, and/or solar power. Other natural resources, such as paper and steel, are essential to basic hospitality operations. 9.1 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

3. The Need forWater Conservation • Surface water includes all of the water that is on top of the earth’s surface. • Groundwater is found beneath the earth’s surface. • Almost 75 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water, but only 1 percent of that can be used by humans. • The United States uses more than 345,000 million gallons of fresh water every day. On average, Americans and Canadians use more than 100 gallons of water a day per person just for personal use. • Water conservation is a critical principle of sustainability. Restaurant and foodservice operations have a responsibility to use as little water as needed to run their businesses. 9.1 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

4. What This Industry Can Do To conserve, restaurant and foodservice operations can: Restaurant and foodservice operations can install equipment: • Thaw food in the cooler • Soak and scrape first • Keep water temperatures at the right level • Load dishwashers correctly • Repair leaks quickly • Don’t automatically serve water • Sweep the outside areas • Train employees to conserve • Low-flow spray valves • Low-flow toilets and waterless urinals • Sink aerators • Energy-efficient dishwashers • On-demand water heaters • Connectionless steamers 9.1 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

5. Section 9.1 Summary • Sustainability refers to all the practices that meet current resource needs without compromising the ability to meet future needs. • Conservation is the practice of limiting the use of a resource. • Water conservation is important because droughts reduce water levels and many parts of the world are already experiencing water shortages. • There are many actions restaurant and foodservice operations cake take to use water efficiently. 9.1 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

6. The Importance ofEnergy Efficiency • Much of what is used to power cities, homes, and businesses comes from nonrenewable energy sources, such as fossil fuels. • Renewable energy sources do not rely on a finite supply of a resource, directly emit greenhouse gases, or contribute to air pollution. • The most common examples of renewable energy are: • Water (hydropower) • Wind • Solar • Owners and operators can reduce energy usage in a restaurant or foodservice operation through conservation and efficient use. • Geothermal • Biomass 9.2 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

7. What This Industry Can Do Every operation should have an energy efficiency plan based on its usage needs. • Turn off lights when not in use • Make sure loads are full • Power down idle equipment • Seal off unused areas • Reduce idle times • Clean and maintain equipment regularly • Replace incandescent lighting • Purchase energy-efficient equipment • Heat water in smarter ways 9.2 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

8. Building for Efficiency • Commercial buildings consume 36 percent of all energy and 64 percent of all electricity used in the United States. • Green buildings are designed, built, renovated, or reused so that the structure conserves energy, uses resources more efficiently, and reduces the overall impact on the environment. • Building owners often can find financing to fund or offset energy-saving efforts. • Designing and constructing a new building from scratch provides the best chance to an operation efficient and environmentally friendly. • For restaurant and foodservice operations in an existing building, renovations are an opportunity to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs. 9.2 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

9. Section 9.2 Summary • Renewable energy sources do not rely on a finite supplies, directly emit greenhouse gases, or contribute to air pollution. • Restaurant and foodservice operations can become energy efficient by: • Turning off lights • Fully loading dishwashers, washing machines, and ovens • Powering down idle equipment • Sealing off unused areas • Reducing idle time • Cleaning and maintaining equipment regularly • Replacing incandescent lighting • Purchasing energy-efficient equipment • Heating water in smart ways 9.2 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

10. Reusing • One way to manage waste is to reuse or repurpose items that employees would otherwise throw away. • Repurposed food is food that customers did not eat, but that staff prepared, cooked, cooled, and held safely. • Management can reuse food in three ways: • Serve the food in its original format. • Repurpose the food into another format. • Donate food to local food-rescue programs. • Restaurant and foodservice operations may include reused materials in their facility design and customer offerings. • Worn but usable items are often accepted by charity organizations and homeless centers. 9.3 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

11. Reducing • A restaurant or foodservice operation practices waste reduction by taking steps to limit the amount of garbage it makes. • Reducing is both a benefit to the environment and to the bottom line: Less waste means the operation is making better choices about food production and storage. • The key to reducing waste is smart planning, which leads to less wasted food. • For products with a longer shelf life, buyers can make bulk purchases as storage space allows, which helps to reduce the number of containers in use. 9.3 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

12. Recycling Recycling transforms waste into valuable resources. Examples of easily recycled items include: • Newspapers • Paper bags and carry-out drink trays • Office paper • Corrugated cardboard • Metal food containers • Aluminum cans and foil wrap • Milk cartons/jugs • Juice cartons • Glass bottles and jars • Plastic bottles, cutlery, straws, and butter containers • Film plastics, plastic wrap, plastic shopping bags • All beverage containers • Bottle caps 9.3 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

13. Getting Started Before beginning to recycle, take the following steps: • Audit the trash • Select a recycling manager • Set up bins and containers for recyclables • Identify your recycler • Decide whether to separate or use a single stream • Join a co-op or align with neighbors • Create a recycle environment • Promote recycling efforts 9.3 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

14. Composting • Do not dump or wash down inedible food scraps into garbage disposals—instead, compost them. • Composting is a natural form of recycling that occurs when organic material decomposes (or composts) to form organic fertilizer. • Compost is created by putting organic wastes in proper ratios and then into piles, rows, or vessels and adding bulking agents to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials. • Composting is also a process that can transform wasted food into an environmentally useful commodity. • Setting up a composting plan is the smartest way to ensure that a restaurant or foodservice operation will handle this process effectively. 9.3 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

15. Section 9.3 Summary • Operations can reduce total waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling. • Restaurant and foodservice operations can recycle empty plastic bottles and containers, cardboard boxes, old newspapers, paper bags, Styrofoam, paper bags, and plastic cutlery. • Restaurant and foodservice operations can reuse repurposed food that was not eaten by customers but was prepared, cooked, cooled, and held safely. • Restaurant and foodservice operations can reduce by limiting the garbage they make. 9.3 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

16. Local Sourcing A local source offers food produced in the surrounding growing region. • Local sourcing is a way to reduce the amount of travel that some food products must make. • A restaurant or foodservice operation that wants to buy food from local sources needs to be prepared and focused on specific goals: • Start small and look for logical opportunities • Research and network • Stay flexible • Promote local efforts 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

17. Sustainable Seafood • Americans spend more than 7 percent of their food dollars or almost $70 billion a year on seafood. • Restaurants account for two-thirds of all seafood revenue in the United States. • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 75 percent of the world’s fish species have been fully fished, overfished, or depleted within the last 15 years. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

18. Aquaculture Aquaculture is the production of seafood under controlled conditions. It accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally. • Aquaculture has grown to an industry that produces more than 45 million tons of seafood every year, including 800 million pounds from the United States. • Talking with a reputable supplier about its seafood sourcing policies and species diversity is the best process for understanding sustainable seafood options. • Fisheries with well-managed, healthy populations are a good source of sustainable seafood for restaurants and foodservice operations because purchasers are able to order the seafood consistently according to menu needs. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

19. Coffee • Americans buy and drink more coffee than any other country in the world. • Conservationists and scientists have begun studying the environmental effects of various coffee-production methods: • Sun coffee farms require strict management and frequent fertilizer and pesticide intervention to maintain healthy crops. • With the shade-grown coffee method, coffee trees grow under taller rainforest trees, whose larger leaves shade the crop. • Environmentalists have focused on shade-grown coffee as an attractive way to preserve biodiversity in tropical rainforests. • Restaurant and foodservice operations must consider the costs of the coffee that they plan to offer. Shade-grown coffee is typically more expensive than sun coffee. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

20. Animal Products • The demand for animal food products has sharply increased along with general global food demand over the last few decades. • Critics have targeted industrialized farming for its possible effects on the environment.  • Some restaurant and foodservice operations look for ways to procure animal products that are produced with more environmentally friendly and humane practices. • Restaurant and foodservice operations seeking out sustainably produced animal products must do some research and talk to their suppliers. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

21. Organic Food Organic food is produced without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. • Organic farmers usually conserve soil and water and don’t treat animals with antibiotics or growth hormones. • The designation of “organic” is regulated by the USDA through the National Organic Program. • In 2008, the market for organic food in the United States was nearly $25 billion. • Price is a concern when considering organic products. An organic item can cost anywhere from 10 to 40 percent higher than its conventional counterpart. • Recent studies show that some customers are willing to pay a higher price for organic food. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

22. The Emerging Landscape • The movement toward sustainable food practices and conservation as a whole continues to grow and change at a rapid pace. • Each year, the number of independent certifications and government-created standards increases, serving to create better communication with the public. • Managers and owners must analyze their choices carefully, keeping both the present and the future of their businesses in mind. • Restaurant owners, farmers, processors, suppliers, and manufacturers are all working to develop smarter technology, more environmentally friendly practices, and sustainable, profitable operations. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry

23. Section 9.4 Summary • A local source offers food produced by the surrounding region. • The FAO reports that 75 percent of the world’s fish species have been fully fished, overfished, or depleted within the last 15 years. • For those operations that plan to feature sustainable food products on their menus, coffee is a simple place to start. • Restaurant and foodservice operations seeking out sustainably produced animal products must do some research and talk to their suppliers. • Organic food is produced without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. • Restaurant owners, farmers, processors, suppliers, and manufacturers are all working to develop smarter technology, more environmentally-friendly practices, and sustainable, profitable operations. 9.4 Chapter 9 | Sustainability in the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry