Ten Ways to Make Your Restaurant More Eco-Friendly
Hints from the Environmental Building News
1) Save water in the kitchen by installing more efficient pre-rinse spray valves, dishwashers and boilerless steamers. By saving hot water, you also reduce energy costs.
2) When redecorating, use paints and finishes with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions.
3) Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, and use efficient LED fixtures for accent lighting, along with other efficiency measures. A 20 percent reduction in energy costs can mean a 33 percent increase in profitability, according to Environmental Protection Agency.
4) Save water in bathrooms by changing to high-efficiency toilets, urinals and lavatory sinks. Look for fixtures that exceed federally mandated efficiency levels, for example, WaterSense-certified fixtures.
5) Use cleaning products with reduced quantities of harmful chemicals and paper and plastic products with recycled content. Replace paper towels or old, noisy hand dryers with newer, high-velocity hand dryers.
6) Install bamboo flooring. Bamboo is a "rapidly renewable" building material that exhibits the durability of hardwood, but regenerates within years and can be grown sustainably. Look for formaldehyde-free products.
7) Increase the percentage of the waste stream that is recycled or diverted from disposal. In addition to paper and plastic containers, recycle metals, compost food waste and collect batteries and fluorescent light bulbs for recycling.
8) Look for countertops and other materials that use recycled content. Some durable and attractive countertops are made from recycled glass or even recycled paper, for example.
9) For greener grounds management, reduce lawn area, irrigation and chemical use and add native plants and an organic kitchen garden.
10) Pursue certification through LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), a program of the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED-EB provides a structure for greening all aspects of existing buildings' operation and maintenance.
- Contributed by Tristan Korthals Altes, editor at Environmental Building News. For further reading, visit www.BuildingGreen.com.
Hospitality Style Magazine
- November/December 2008
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