Large foodservice operators are embracing the Zero Waste movement and doing their part to support it. For example, Sodexo – a global facilities management and foodservice operations company – committed to sending zero food scraps to landfills this year.
Sports and entertainment businesses in particular are greening up their operations. A recent survey found that one in three Americans are "more likely to attend a game or concert if they learned that all of the trash left behind was recycled or composted, and 1 in 5 respondents said they would buy more concessions if they knew the food scraps and foodservice products were composted."
Supporting foodservice operators on their journey toward Zero Waste requires a systems solution. That's why Eco-Products offers its full product line, sustainability consulting, and marketing expertise to operators with whom we partner. We are keenly aware of the challenges they face and the training, infrastructure and communication support they require to succeed.
To help advance Zero Waste practices among foodservice operators, we set the following goals for 2017:
- Develop a database of waste diverting operators and establish a mechanism for tracking them. We want to better understand which of our customers are deploying front-of-house composting programs and where. That way, we can be sure they have the composting bins, signage and other marketing materials they need to appropriately divert more materials and tell their sustainability story. More importantly, we want to set a baseline so we can increase the proportion of our customers who are composting. The measure of our success in fulfilling our Zero Waste mission will in large part come down to how well we are leveraging our expertise and scaling our impact to help foodservice operators maximize their waste diversion.
- Help at least nine foodservice operators implement a front-of-house Zero Waste composting program. Why nine? We have nine sales reps and are tasking each of them with converting at least one of their customers to a front-of-house composting operation. By incorporating our Zero Waste dedication into our sales reps' goals, we are continuing the convergence of our sustainability goals and our overall business objectives.
- Implement a Zero Waste program with a strategic partner, such as a foodservice management company or distributor, in 2018. Stay tuned!
Spotlight: Verde, South Carolina
Verde is a four-location restaurant chain based in South Carolina, featuring salads and organic ingredients. They are “dedicated to being green inside and out” and to making it easy for their customers “to experience the benefits of eating, going, and being green.” Talk about a kindred spirit to Eco-Products!
This customer uses our GreenStripe compostable products, including custom cups and soup containers that help convey their brand using their voice. By using compostable packaging and offering compost bins in the front-of-house of their restaurants, it is easy for Verde customers to participate in waste diversion. Since very few items are not compostable or recyclable, putting the right stuff in the right bin is easy.
An especially cool aspect about our relationship with Verde is the fact that their compost hauler – Food Waste Disposal – is actually their distributor for Eco-Products. With no shortage of greenwashing when it comes to “green” foodservice packaging, FWD saw an opportunity to help its composting customers buy only truly compostable, BPI-certified products. Through a partnership with FWD, we started an innovative way to further our Zero Waste mission and support our customers' sustainability efforts.
