Michael Oshman helps foodservice operators understand and navigate the road to more environmentally friendly and sustainable operations. en-us http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662.html?nid=4699 Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use November 10, 2009 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/EF3TPa6RDCg/1290050329.html Barr Mansion Artisan Ballroom in Austin, Texas, is a 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant that managed to reach a nearly zero-waste status. They reached this accelerated level of environmental sustainability because they have solid methods in place for making green practices – ones that can be ap… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1290050329.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/tHO_JxJD-ys/1450050145.html Want your staff and customers to be a part of your green efforts? Employees and patrons can greatly affect your restaurant’s environmental impact. Involving them in the process and allowing them to make greener choices is one of the best ways to expand upon your environmental initiatives. &… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1450050145.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/VXjQm2bvKX0/1480049748.html When you can’t use something anymore or you want to get rid of it, consider a different kind of "recycling" - give it away instead of throwing it away. Donate leftovers to a local food pantry. Years ago, this was difficult to do because of rigid city health codes. Now, it’s… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1480049748.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/RVV7z0kQmNQ/1000049500.html When it comes to going green, quick-service restaurants provide excellent venues for change. These restaurants are designed to be one-stop-shops for customers, but with that comes great opportunity for waste. The GRA’s advice is this: Don’t give anything away for free. You’ll pay f… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1000049500.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/rteTWensewo/20049202.html Waste vegetable oil has become a valuable by-product of the restaurant industry. Most restaurants produce quite a bit of it, so it’s only logical to figure out ways to use the grease once it has served its cooking and frying purposes. Thanks to modern ingenuity, there are a handful of ways res… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/20049202.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/EpRGXHPl5yw/1670048567.html I've blogged about chemicals and pollution before, but it's always smart to keep the conversation going. Here are a few tips to keep you creative and resourceful as you incorporate a pollution- and chemical-reduction plan into the daily practices of your restaurant: 1. Use one m… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1670048567.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/9TqvQxhpgKs/1360048336.html Water is the most taken-for-granted resource. It flows from our faucets freely; we flush it down the drain several times a day; and the fact that we live on the "blue planet" leads many to believe we have an abundance of water to spare. This is not true. Water is a precious resource--one t… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1360048336.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/PdAeU7Ds4Uo/500047650.html Consumers and business owners alike are asking how they can reduce their environmental impact. Restaurant owners and employees know that there are innumerable steps they can take to become a greener operation; the question sometimes is where to begin. In the next few weeks, I'll list … http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/500047650.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/oULCvm-tSxU/260047426.html Did you know that 95% of a restaurant's waste can be recycled or composted? Recycling not only diverts waste from landfills and incinerators, but also it supplies material for post-consumer recycled products. Recycling saves natural resources, energy and money. One San Diego restaurant cer… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/260047426.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/gcBjWVjibmw/780046278.html As a restaurant owner, you're acutely aware of the importance of having a clean and up-to-code kitchen. The Board of Health makes sure you're complying with cleaning regulations and health codes. This is a good thing. Food safety is an important issue, as is the health of your staff and customers. … http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/780046278.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/fUneHRejmQU/1200045520.html Last week, celebrity chef Mario Batali, hosted a farmers market at the Palazzo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to celebrate his three newest Certified Green Restaurants in Las Vegas (Carnevino at The Palazzo and Enoteca San Marco and… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1200045520.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/E4OtNXHSJSg/860045286.html For restaurants with land, gardens, plants and sprinkler systems, spring and summer can be draining – in terms of the water bill, that is. How many times have you seen sprinklers on during a spring shower or summer rainstorm? All too often, sprinkler systems are run on timers that don&rsquo… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/860045286.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/XnrzHdQaynw/10045001.html The GRA recently certified Guesthouse Restaurant, our first ever Certified Green Restaurant in Canada. In an effort to help this particular restaurant find sustainable solutions, our environmental consultants immersed themselves in the world of Canadian manufacturers, distributors, products and ser… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/10045001.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/WQiGrEk7L1s/240044824.html The push for local, organic, and sustainable foods has become mainstream. In thinking about where your food originates, the next question would logically be, “Where does it go?” Keeping the conversation alive and bringing issues of food origin, safety and growing practices to the fore h… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/240044824.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/lhHdQg5A0vo/1040044504.html Green is here to stay. During a recent weekly staff meeting at the Green Restaurant Association, we all took turns ...Read More http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1040044504.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/39iK4YmGZ1s/200044220.html At Full Circle Catering in Lexington, Va., Chef-owner Jenny Elmes is a one-woman-show, shopping for, prepping, cooking and serving the menus she creates for area weddings, luncheons, barbecues and birthday parties. Aside from being a Certified Green Restaurant, Elmes has taken her green mission to … http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/200044220.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/ysTUtp1jqKs/1440043944.html As much as I’ve enjoyed spreading the mission of the GRA for the past 18 years, I can truthfully say that I hope the distinction of the word “green” doesn’t exist some day. No, I don’t want the green-business movement to stop or slow down. I want the need for green prod… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1440043944.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/FKWZ308J3W4/520043652.html In honor of Earth Day, I’d like to propose a challenge: Try cutting back on unnecessary paper use in your restaurant. Some tips to get started: Chalkboard Specials: Follow the lead of Benders Caffé in Providence, R.I., which recently started posting specials on a wall in the rest… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/520043652.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/Vk0I_Z2XwqQ/1850043385.html I’ve blogged before about the importance of post-consumer recycled content. By nature, it’s the best example of how a product can be used, recycled, made into something else and used again. Recently, GRA consultants were faced with a challenge: find pizza boxes made from 100% post-consu… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1850043385.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/s1PRIvo1Pro/1290043129.html Cambridge, Mass., is known mostly for Harvard University, MIT and the Head of the Charles Regatta. But the small New England city is also home to hundreds of restaurants, including two Certified Green Restaurants that are housed in a 100-year-old building in historic Harvard Square. Grendles Den an… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1290043129.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/jyz0Ddmx64g/1290042929.html Recently, the GRA began working with Forever Resorts’ Grand Canyon property to certify its restaurants, and in the process, we stumbled upon a reusable cup that’s effecting change one drink at a time. Originally, the restaurants were offering their employees free, unlimited beverages wh… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1290042929.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/IcSc24CPMPg/680041868.html Going green not only helps restaurants become more sustainable, we also help them save money. The two go hand in hand, because when you start implementing sustainable practices like energy and water conservation, you’re also conserving funds. There are hundreds of things a restaurant can do to… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/680041868.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/wSwcX-e5Vvo/1450041545.html At the core of the green movement is the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle." In green design and building, this should be first and foremost. Our advice: keep it simple and use your imagination. Ten years ago, it was difficult for restauran… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/1450041545.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/c9oOYXbbGo0/80041208.html All Certified Green Restaurants begin the certification process by eliminating the use of polystyrene foam and implementing a recycling program. A few months ago, we were faced with a new challenge when a cake bakery signed on to GRA’s program. The bakery owner said she used polystyrene foam f… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/80041208.html?nid=4699 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenline/~3/RJJ9SPrKXVQ/410040841.html Green is no longer just a color. Green is a movement, and it’s moving quickly through the business world, the restaurant world and even the design world. As you strive to make your restaurant stand out amidst the nearly 1 million other restaurants in the U.S., try adding some green design elem… http://www.rimag.com/blog/620000662/post/410040841.html?nid=4699