The article offers a feast of sustainable ways that restaurants across the US are putting environmentally friendly ideas to work for their customers, their communities and their bottom lines.

When I say trend, I don’t mean as in trendy but as in a growing practice. And restaurants are putting sustainability into their business activities in more ways than ever before and consumers are eating it up.

The shift toward sustainability is fueled in part by the Green Restaurant Association, a national non-profit organization, that provides services in research, consulting, education, marketing and community organizing. According to the GRA, the restaurant industry represents 10% of the U.S. economy and use 1/3 of the energy in retail – restaurants can make a big impact on the environment and many are choosing to make it a positive one.

Some of the ways restaurants are going green:

• using reclaimed or recycled materials for interior finishes
• opting for non-toxic cleaners
• serving with biodegradable containers such as potato starch cutlery
• choosing local, organic and fair trade food and drinks
• composting and recycling
• using recycled paper and soy-based ink for menus

While some eco-minded initiatives increase overhead costs, restaurant owners find that other steps save money in energy and water, often offsetting the cost of going green.

I think this trend is delicious, what do you think?

Read the full article A Tall Order of Green at Washington Post and a big nod to Sean at Franchise Pick for the tip!

Post from: EveryJoe

Restaurant Industry Puts Green on the Menu

Green Works will start appearing on store shelves throughout the country this month and the Sierra Club logo will start appearing on Green Works near Earth Day (April 22) this year.

The Green Works products will include: an all-purpose cleaner, a glass cleaner, a toilet bowl cleaner, a dilutable cleaner, and a bathroom cleaner. All are at least 99 percent natural made from ingredients like coconuts and lemon oil. The cleaners are biodegradable, non-allergenic, cruelty free and packaged in recyclable containers.

The products have been granted the “Design for Environment” certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the launch of Green Works is significant in that it marks the first nationally distributed natural cleaner – Clorox is big business.

Sierra Club Executive Director said, “One of the Sierra Club’s primary goals is to foster vibrant, healthy communities with clean water and air that are free from pollution. Products like Green Works help to achieve this goal in the home. We’re looking forward to working with Clorox and the Green Works team to promote a line of natural cleaning products for consumers who are moving toward a greener lifestyle,” according to GreenBiz.

Many critics of the company best known for manufacturing bleach products see Clorox as just trying to cash in on green market trends. Case in point, their recent acquisition of Burt’s Bees which many long time Burt’s fans called a sell-out rather than a buyout.

What do you think? Should we applaud green moves by a company that also produces environmentally damaging products? Is any green better than none at all?

Via GreenBiz

Post from: EveryJoe

Clorox Partners With Sierra Club on Marketing ‘Green Works’ Natural Cleaners