Climate change is a big issue, and the food industry is one of the main factors. It can often be challenging to distinguish between what seems sustainable and what is not. However, there are changes that you can make that will have a significant impact on the planet in the future. Here are some tips on how to reduce your impact on the environment when running a restaurant.

Create A Sustainability Plan

One of the most important things that you can do is create a sustainability plan. This will give you a baseline to work from, and it will also help you identify areas where you could make changes to create a sustainable restaurant. Sustainability plans will vary from restaurant to restaurant depending on what your company does and how much waste it produces. If you need help understanding how to create this plan or which areas you need to look at in your business, check out this helpful guide on becoming a sustainable restaurant from Yelp.

If you have an idea of what sustainability means for your business, it will be easier to create goals that align with those values. A sustainable restaurant would include a policy on using biodegradable materials, using energy-efficient appliances, and using renewable energy sources. You should create a sustainability plan that includes what you’re currently doing, what you want to do in the future, and how you will measure your progress. This will help guide you in the right direction and give you guidelines on how to succeed.

Stop Using Straws

One way your restaurant can reduce its impact on the environment is by eliminating single-use plastics like straws. This seems like a small change, but it can actually make a significant impact. It will help reduce the yearly number of straws that end up in landfills.

Compost Your Food Waste

It can be challenging to find ways to reduce your impact on the environment when running a restaurant. One step would be to compost your food waste. This is a huge way that restaurants can help with environmental preservation and have a positive impact on the planet. You can compost any type of organic material, which includes vegetables, fruits, and even things like eggshells.

Consider Growing Your Own Fruits And Vegetables

One of the best ways to reduce your restaurant’s environmental impact is by growing some of your own fruits and vegetables. If you have space, planting a garden, setting up a greenhouse, or bringing in some raised beds can make a considerable difference in resource conservation. Not only does this help with sustainability, but it also helps your restaurant save money on food costs. It makes sense to grow what you can eat and use in your restaurant dishes when it comes time for cooking. By eating the produce you grow, you are saving energy that would otherwise be spent getting these foods from farms and suppliers to your restaurant.

Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances

Many of the appliances in a restaurant are energy-intensive, and this can lead to higher electricity bills. Investing in energy-efficient appliances will reduce your restaurant’s carbon footprint.

Reduce Plastic With Sustainable Suppliers

One of the easiest ways to reduce your impact on the environment is by reducing plastic. By switching to sustainable suppliers, you can help eliminate waste and pollution. Of course, it won’t happen overnight. But working with sustainable suppliers can make all the difference in the future. For example, instead of getting disposable straws from a plastic supplier, you could use metal straws that are durable and reusable. You can also cut back on large plastic items like bussing trays and carts and switch to stainless steel trays and a warehouse cart. By utilizing sustainable suppliers, you will be able to cut down on how much plastic your business produces, which then cuts down on how much waste it produces.

Use Renewable Energy Sources

The first change you can make is using renewable energy sources. This tip is especially important as it will reduce your electricity bill and save money. If you have the option of buying energy from a company that uses renewable resources, then do so.

It’s also important to reduce water usage when running a restaurant. You should install water-saving devices in your restaurant, like low-flow faucets and low-flush toilets, to help conserve water. Some restaurants even use rainwater harvesting systems, which are very eco-friendly and provide clean water to the restaurant.

Conclusion

A sustainable restaurant is one that’s environmentally conscious and strives to conduct business in a responsible way. It is important for restaurants to reduce their environmental footprint by becoming more sustainable. There are plenty of ways for restaurants to go green and reap the benefits of becoming more environmentally friendly. 

A sustainability plan that includes goals and timelines will make it easier to see what your current environmental impact is and how you can reduce it. By using sustainable energy sources, composting food waste, and purchasing energy-efficient appliances, your restaurant can have a positive impact on the environment and save money in the long run.