Tag Archives: Sustainability

One Change = Big Difference

The reuse of food is discussed a bit in my paper but I would like to expand on it here.  Reusing food is not considered a new solution but it is a solution restaurants should actively practice.  There are always options for various ways to reuse food – you can make a stock with leftover bones and veggie scraps or with leftover veggies and fruits you can make smoothies.

At the Lea Restaurant the seasonal fruit on their brunch menu is being wasted each time it is served. One new way to fix this is to take all of the unused fruit and veggie/fruit scraps to make smoothies.  With the addition of yogurt (already on hand) the restaurant is able to incorporate this practice, introduce a new menu item, and reduce the amount of food wasted during their brunches.  That’s a win, win, win situation.

Restaurants need to constantly change their approach to food to stay “present” in this overcrowded industry.

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The SRA in London

The SRA is the Sustainable Restaurant Association – it is located in London, England.  This group was formed in 2010 and was created to make it easier for restaurants and the industry as a whole to incorporate sustainability practices.  This organization is not covered much in my paper but I thought it was important to show you existing models outside of the United States.  This goes to the overall conversation that food waste is a worldwide issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later.

The SRA has 14 key areas of focus and they work with restaurants on pledges.  I love this idea.  The SRA appoints account managers and then helps them pledge to make changes in any of specific these areas.  This allows the restaurant to weigh the cost and benefits of becoming more sustainable in one area (say water saving instead of community engagement).

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Food Waste Facts

When I started my research I thought the numbers of food waste would be high but I didn’t expect them to be as high as they are.  These numbers are astounding and scary.  If we are wasting this much food now how much higher will it go as more people inherit the earth? Landfills are overcrowded and they produce and introduce methane gases to the air (which also contributes to climate change).  Food waste reduction and sustainability is something all restaurants and consumers should make a priority.

Food Waste Infographic shareable