“Sustainable” is a word we hear often these days, but what does it mean? And why are so many restaurants talking about it?
Sustainability, in ecological terms, is the way biological systems remain diverse and productive. Generally speaking, sustainability is achieved when systems work together smoothly to resist.
Restaurants are sustainable when they reduce their waste streams, minimize their impact on the environment, and when they find ways to reduce energy use through greater efficiency or by using clean forms of energy.
The environmental quality objective is being progressively incorporated into all catering establishments.
Many hotels, restaurants, cafés, etc. have demonstrated a strong environmental and social commitment with the aim of reducing the impact on the environment, conserving natural resources and promoting an ecological diet.
It is a question of choosing the means and taking the most appropriate measures to manage and reduce the environmental impact, especially in terms of selection and use of equipment.
It is not an easy task to obtain the label of sustainable, sustainable, green or ecological as there are many requirements to be met by the local that requests it: waste management, energy efficiency, responsible marketing or animal welfare, among others. But every day there are more restaurants that are part of the Association of Sustainable Restaurants.
Basic stages of an environmental development plan :
– Select an environmental manager in each team, so that they can inventory and prioritize ways of improvement.
– To anticipate the obligatory assumption of environmental and energy requirements, analysing the market and regulations.
– Optimise the chosen alternative in a way that allows innovation, while at the same time overcoming environmental barriers and reducing the carbon footprint.
– Establish monitoring indicators to quantify progress towards meeting targets.
In relation to environmental barriers, there are four major blocks that are priorities: Global Impact, Energy Consumption, Hygrometric Comfort and Acoustic Comfort.
Here are some tips to make a restaurant sustainable.
Make a checklist of perishable products
Sustainable restaurant management means having this type of inventory that avoids food waste and saves as much money as possible.
The “first in, first out” rule will be applied to perishable goods, ordering them according to their expiry date.
Reduce waste
It is advisable to try to reduce the amount of waste generated to a minimum, as the treatment of waste entails a significant expenditure of energy.
The waste generated can also be useful for restaurants.
Separate your waste into organic, plastic, glass, paper, wood, etc. so you can create strategies to take advantage of them. Some of this waste may be useful:
- Look for local recycling companies to collect them daily.
- You can also donate leftovers to food banks.
- Selling your waste to specialised companies.