How To Save Money & Be Sustainable at the Same Time

The demands of your business and job are unbelievable. There are air vent handlers to deal with, dishwashers that break down, ovens and burners to keep cranked up all day long, walk-in coolers that your kitchen staff dart in and out of thousands of times per day, surfaces to disinfect, grease traps to unclog, and piles and piles of broken-down cardboard boxes to deal with. So, how can you possibly think about the environment, when there is so much to do? In order to increase sales, and make a difference in today’s environmental arena, it is necessary for your business to take a green approach, become eco-friendly; amplify its uniqueness, while at the same time increasing traffic. One way to do that and make a difference is to enhance your sustainability presence.

In today’s business environment, it is all about breaking even or increasing profits. The ultimate goal is for you to provide solutions for your chain and increase your chances for job stability. There are ways to decrease expenses without spending a lot of capital that you may not have thought about. Since your ultimate responsibility is to the future of your own children and grandchildren, and for generations not yet born, it is time you make a stand and help educate those around you who do not understand the dynamics of sustainability, and how you ultimately, with a few minor adjustments, can save your restaurants money.

The reason why the whole question of sustainability has received the notoriety it has, is because of Agenda 21, which was established at the Earth Summit meeting in 1992. The governments who attended this meeting created a blueprint for sustainability for the 21st century. Agenda 21 is a commitment to “sustainable development,” which means having an “economy which provides a decent standard of living for people alive today, and will not prevent those of the future from sharing an equally high standard.”

The Brundtland Report, also known as “Our Common Future,” focused on “equity, growth and environmental maintenance.” This report recognized that, “equity and sustainable growth require technological and social change.” The environment “is to be conserved and our national resource base enhanced, by gradually changing the ways in which we all develop and use technologies.”

Most people do not understand the word sustainable since it applies to all aspects of life on Earth, including ecological, social and economic contexts. From an ecological perspective, sustainability is defined, “as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological processes, functions and biodiversity and productivity into the future.” Within a social perspective, “sustainability is expressed as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Within an economic framework of your restaurant, “a business is sustainable if it has adapted its practices for the use of renewable resources and is accountable for the environmental impacts of its activities.”

So, what are the attributes for sustainability within the hospitality industry? They consist of:

• Energy
• Water
• Waste
• Disposables
• Chemicals and Pollution Reduction
• Food

ENERGY - Restaurants are one of the country’s top consumers of energy. According to the National Restaurant Association, they account for 42 percent of all retail spending on fuels for heating. That’s why some chefs and restaurateurs are pitching in to make dining out a greener experience.

First and foremost, have your utility company provide an energy assessment, which details exactly how much energy is being utilized; in most cases, the assessment is free. You also need to have an energy audit for each function of your business. You can find the largest potential savings in all aspects of your restaurant that consumes the most amount of energy. Look at lighting, equipment, (ice machines, ranges, steamers, refrigerators, food prep equipment, ovens, dishwashers, hot water heaters, grills, griddles or microwaves). By compiling and analyzing the data on your business’s energy usage, you can determine which steps to take, in order to save the most money. Be sure to consider your lighting, by installing energy efficient lights, including low-output compact fluorescent lights, which last longer and use less energy. Place motion sensors in offices and storage areas; unused restaurant equipment should be shut down to maximize energy conservation and be sure to turn off computers at night.

WATER - You can certainly switch to an on-demand system that will heat your water supply from 38 degrees to 185 degrees in a matter of minutes. The restaurant will save water and energy by heating only the water required for a specific purpose rather than heating all of the water in a tank, or consider a tankless on-demand water heater. Think about an upgrade for water consumption, including installation of low-flush toilets and low-pressure faucets in the kitchen sinks. The upgrades are great for business and pay for themselves through utility savings. When landscaping your property, use native and drought tolerant plants that can save considerable dollars in reduced water and maintenance costs. Also, you might want to consider improving the oxygen content at the restaurants by using high-quality filters, which can remove the ammonia and formaldehyde-type gasses.

WASTE – Many states encourage restaurateurs to source separate out all food waste and cardboard. These are the two products necessary to provide the basis of the composting materials. If you can compost, do so. It is worth the elimination of food from your kitchen into a bin and ultimately reaching farmers so for them to utilize your end-product as top soil and grow more food. If you have any questions on this, please contact SLM at 888-847-4449 ext 7432. You are guaranteed to save money on this, plus help out the environment. Other ways to reduce your waste includes: recycling of white paper, reusing packing materials, providing biodegradable containers and utensils, purchase food products and chemicals in bulk, use towel dispensers with motion sensors in your facilities that dispense towels made from 100% renewable resources, purchase restaurant napkins made from recycled papers and eliminate Styrofoam containers. Consider phasing in sustainable carpeting that uses environmentally-friendly dyes and glues. You can consider the recycling of all light bulbs, batteries, grease and hazardous waste to minimize impact to the environment.

DISPOSABLES - When utilizing take-out services, be sure to use biodegradable bags, bowls, cups, cutlery, plates, soup containers, straws and napkins, and most importantly, let your customer know you are providing biodegradable items, so they are aware of your commitment to sustainability. Print it on all of your advertising.

Chemicals and Pollution Reduction – There is more to being green than using organic products. Organic produce keeps pesticides and chemical runoff out of our water and soil, but it does not keep trash out of landfills and it does not conserve energy within the restaurant. It has been suggested by numerous municipalities and mandated for others for restaurants to eliminate all toxic cleaning materials & detergents, carcinogenic plastic food bags, polluting take-out containers & napkins, and out-gassing VOC’s. There are eco-friendly alternatives for laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, along with all-purpose cleaner and carpet cleaners. Truly toxic paints, varnishes & sealants should be eliminated. It is suggested you consider using environmentally safe, biodegradable, re-usable or compostable containers and cleaners, re-usable hemp napkins and sustainable cellophane food bags.

Business contributes to the problem of air pollution, but you can help thru cumulative effects of saving energy and reducing waste, which would reduce the need for energy and resource consumption. Therefore, the actions of your business can help to promote the conservation of natural resources and bring about a reduction in air pollution thereby encouraging more sustainable development.

Food – The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, states, “the average American meal has a shockingly large carbon footprint, usually traveling 1,500 miles to the plate and emitting large amounts of CO2 in the process.” It is known through the food industry that on the average, each restaurant contributes no less than 275 pounds of waste a day, making restaurants the worst aggressors of greenhouse gas emissions in the retail industry. It is also known that one of the bigger line items for restaurateurs is waste, which accounts for between 2.3 and 3.6 percent of sales, depending upon the type of operation. In reviewing Zagat’s 2007 America’s Top Restaurants, 65% of all surveyed, say they would “pay more for food that has been sustainably raised or procured; 62% of adults said they would likely choose a restaurant based on its environmental friendliness.”

Part of the task for sustainability is to find ways of reducing the amount of resources (be it water, energy, or the type of food process in making food) needed for the production, consumption and disposal of the foods you serve to your patrons.

Benefits for being sustainable include:

• Great Publicity – public relations, media hype and enhanced advertising.
• Energy Conservation Programs – water, lighting, air.
• Waste/recycling Reduction Programs – high end compaction systems or composting
• Improvement of Staff Productivity and Morale – happier and healthier employees.
• Increased Customer Loyalty – environmentally more friendly to your existing customers.
• Encourages New Customers
• Creation of a Healthier Environment –the air we breathe, foods we eat, water we drink.

Simple ways to achieve a level of sustainability so that your customers are aware of your initiatives:

• Changing over to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Turning off appliances when not in use.
• Fix hot water leaks.
• Purchase waterless urinals.
• Recycle cooking oil.
• Purchase bio-degradable products.
• Take advantage of tax rebates from the utilities companies; contact them immediately for new programs.
• Purchase energy efficient equipment.

A few companies making a difference:

• Brinker
• Chipotle Mexican Grill – has had huge success with tankless water heaters and high-efficiency HVAC units. They have factory-programmed thermostats and photocell light controls. They are current looking at wind turbines and solar testing for 2009. They purchase produce from local farmers and compost waste wherever possible.
• Ted’s Montana Grill – has installed variable speed hood ventilation systems that eliminate the need for make-up air units. The chain has added high efficiency rooftop HVAC systems, along with comprehensive water-management measures, such as the waterless urinals that save each restaurant 40,000 gallons of water each year. The restaurateur has added high-temperature dishwashers that cut water use; in the bathrooms, they provide recycled paper, straws made of paper instead of plastic, drink stirrers made of wood, and cups and flatware for takeout meals made of cornstarch that will decompose in landfills.
• McDonalds is working on its next generate of energy-efficient fryers, which simply uses less oil.
• Subway has reduced the amount of packaging used to ship product. Their Eco stores have been successful in utilizing energy efficient equipment such as HVAC, water heating, lighting and kitchen equipment. They instituted a “Change a Light, Change the World” campaign trying to encourage Americans to help change the world, one light-one energy saving step at a time.
• Schlotzky’s chose to work smarter utilizing a new prototype single make up table that controls the preparation of both sandwich and pizza, along with a double-stack convection oven to bake both. Each level of the oven is set at different speeds and at temperatures that accommodate each of the unique foodstuffs.
• Taco Bell – through its innovation of new equipment design, the chain will be able to “reduce process loads.” Their move from steam-heat systems to energy-saving dry-heat grill systems should save millions of gallons of water each year and cut energy usage.
• Arby’s – installed solar panels that heat 70% of the hot-water load for their restaurants. Having these energy saving devices allows the chain to save thousands of pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and cut annual energy costs relative to hot-water demand and heating, thus saving huge amounts of money.
• Darden – established the Darden Environmental Trust in 1997, which contributes to organizations that promote sustainability. The organization helps restore and preserve the ecosystems; they teach environmental sustainability and develop new sustainable seafood products, while at the same time, conserving and sustaining lobster fisheries.

In order for your restaurant to be sustainable, and be in the forefront of public consciousness, your facility must use resources at a rate that can be replenished in order to wear the sustainability label. While the whole process of going green can be daunting, there are small steps you can take. Be sure to look at your raw costs and the return on sustainability investment and be certain what your strategy and 2009 initiatives are. There are always code and permit issues that you may face. Also, think of the Leed’s certification program, which is a credible third-party process that legitimizes your company efforts for going green when planning new construction.

Wikipedia
Lisa Bertagnoli, Energy Efficiency: Working Smart-Chain Leader 3/1/2008
1987 the Brundtland Report, also known as Our Common Future