Thursday, July 30, 2009

New Website Offers Green Dining Best Practices

The Environmental Defense Fund, in partnership with Restaurant Associates, has developed a new website that includes Green Dining Best Practices. The Best Practices fall into 12 categories: Meat, Dairy and Eggs; Produce; Seafood; Food Transport; Coffee and Tea; Bottled Beverages; Cleaning Chemicals; Cooking and Refrigeration Equipment; Dishwashing and Water Use; Facility Construction and Design; Serviceware; and Waste and Recycling.

A separate web page is dedicated to each of the categories. Under "Coffee and Tea," for example, it is suggested that dining managers buy organic coffee and Rainforest Alliance Certified products. Under "Dishwashing and Water Use," managers are encouraged to rinse smarter, purchase water- and energy-efficient equipment, to serve water upon request, and to spot and fix leaks.

The Environmental Defense Fund and Restaurant Associates contend that significant cost savings can be achieved by deploying the Green Dining Best Practices. They encourage dining managers to take a "No Net Cost Challenge." It encourages dining managers to invest savings captured from one or more of the Best Practices to offset costs that might occur in others, thus maximizing the environmental, reputational and customer experience benefits at "No Net Cost."

The new website also includes case studies and links to other helpful sites. Be sure to check out the site. For additional green dining best practices, visit Green Lodging News.

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