Waste Reduction
Our Efforts
Our waste comes from product packaging, food preparation, uneaten scraps, napkins, and disposable containers and utensils. We aim to minimize our ecological footprint by five measures: food sourcing, menu design, plant-based offerings, plastic reduction, and net zero goal.
- Thoughtful food sources by using local produce and supporting nearby farmers to reduce transportation emissions and promote community resilience.
- Smart menu design with health-focused, balanced, and minimally processed dishes. We consciously limit saturated fats, high fructose corn syrup, and sodium.
- Diverse protein options with more plant-based choices and less red meat to improve environmental impact.
- Paper bags, straws, and wood coffee stirrers replace plastic ware* and leverage fine china where possible.
- Minimize food waste and divert it from landfills to reach a net zero goal.
*Plastic straws are available upon request only.
321,300
pounds of pre-consumer and post-consumer waste composted
90%
of dining purchases are from locally operated businesses
75,000
containers eliminated from the waste streams annually with reusable containers
Composting
We partner with Impact Earth to compost all of our pre-consumer organic matter and hope to expand this initiative to include post-consumer composting in the near future.
Reduction of Polystyrene
We have minimized the use of polystyrene (Styrofoam) in our locations and have replaced it with recyclable containers made from polypropylene (number 5 plastic).
Our Partners
Foodlink
We composted over 514,000 pounds of pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, and donated over 8,300 pounds of food to date. Learn more >
EcoCraft
We utilize EcoCraft products made from recycled natural kraft paper using an FDA-approved chlorine-free manufacturing process and a soy-blended eco-wax, reducing dependence on the use of petroleum based products.
Ecolab
We use the Apex ware-washing system from Ecolab, which contains no phosphates and minimal packaging. Each dish machine has a computerized monitoring system which tracks usage and efficiency, allowing each machine to be adjusted to minimize water and energy consumption.
Regional Distributors, Inc.
Regional Distributors provides paper, plastic, and cleaning supplies that reduce our impact on the environment. Learn more >