Becoming environmentally friendly is more important than ever as every waste you produce affects the Earth somehow. This is why many restaurant owners look for ways to make their restaurants more eco-friendly.
Also, being more sustainable helps reduce your overall bills for your restaurant. There are many benefits to making the switch, but how does one become more environmentally conscious? To help you out, here are six eco-friendly tips for restaurant owners.
1. Use Biodegradable Tableware
One of the best ways to become a more eco-friendly restaurant is by investing in biodegradable tableware. Not only are they good for the Earth, but they also provide many benefits to restaurant owners.
For one, this tableware type is sturdy and doesn’t break easily like plastic items. Also, adding them to the microwave is safe since they’re sturdy. Lastly, these plates help speed up cleaning since you just have to put them into the compost bin.
Customers also enjoy seeing restaurants using eco-friendly tableware as it shows the owners are sustainable and generally look better. Different biodegradable tableware is on the market, and each has its own benefits. However, the most popular choice for many restaurant owners is bamboo plates and charcuterie, which offers all the above benefits.
2. Start Using Energy Star Equipment
Energy star equipment allows restaurants to save more money on their electric bills. In addition, this type of equipment uses less energy when used or in sleep mode. This will enable restaurant owners to reduce their carbon footprint on the environment.
Also, restaurant owners can use this as a marketing tool. Many customers are doing more business with eco-friendly restaurants and want to know for certain that where they’re eating is sustainable. You can let your customers know that you use energy-start equipment to entice them to stop at your restaurant.
3. Switch to LED Lights
Unsurprisingly, the restaurant industry is the number one consumer of electricity in the commercial sector. This is because you must use a lot of energy to make delicious food for your customers. However, this hurts the environment and runs up your electrical bill.
The best way to solve these two problems is by switching to LED lights. These lights use 80% less energy than traditional lighting, which will help you save money and become more eco-friendly.
4. Offer Vegan Meals on Your Menu
As the cost of meat rises, it can harm the environment when the agricultural sector has to meet demand. As a restaurant owner, you want to be as eco-friendly as possible while saving money. The best way to do this is to start offering vegan meals on your menus.
Also, more customers are willing to try plant-based meats as they taste just as good as the real thing. So go ahead and experiment in the kitchen and see what meat ingredients can be switched to plant-based options. You’ll be surprised by how many people will love the switch.
5. Only Use Sustainable Seafood Options
Another food item you should pay attention to become eco-friendly is the seafood you use. In addition, certain animals must stay in the ocean to help protect their ecosystem.
Unfortunately, when we go hunting for these animals, it causes havoc and an unbalance. So to avoid this, the Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a Seafood Watch on which sea animals are safe to use and won’t impact the environment. So, check out this list before adding fish to your menus.
6. Create a Recycling Program
Many restaurant owners believe starting a recycling program is expensive but doesn’t have to be. You can start by contacting your local recycling center to learn what materials can or cannot be recycled.
Next, you should conduct waste management and see where your restaurant is the most wasteful. This will help you understand where you need to improve on being eco-friendly.
After this, create designated recycling bins inside and outside the restaurant so everyone knows where to put their items. Lastly, don’t forget to onboard your employees with the new changes. When you start your recycling program, you want everyone to participate in the changes to ensure your restaurant creates less waste.
These Six Tips Will Help Your Restaurant Become More Eco-Friendly
Becoming a sustainable restaurant doesn’t have to be complicated, and you might even see the process to be exciting. However, as restaurants create the most waste in the commercial sector, we must do everything possible to stop the problem. You can use these six tips above to help make your restaurant more environmentally friendly and provide positive changes to the world.
