Log In   |  Register Free Newsletter Subscription
Skip navigation
Zibb
Subscribe to Restaurants & Institutions

Ready to Go Green?

October 7, 2008

When I founded the Green Restaurant Association 18 years ago, the word green was still just a color and its best-known advocate was Kermit the Frog.

I started the Green Restaurant Association in 1990. It was the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Day gathering in 1970, and America was just starting to come face to face with issues such as recycling, reducing and reusing.

GRA logoIt took the next decade-plus to see curbside recycling begin to spread across this country.

To see hole-in-the-wall natural markets turn into multi-billion-dollar businesses that are growing faster than conventional foods.

To see the words "non-toxic," "green," "sustainable," "energy efficient," etc., go from the lexicon of academia to getting more and more mentions in trade magazines, at trade shows, on the nightly news and in political and business speeches.

The words "green" and "business" were rarely seen on the same page, let alone in the same sentence. At the time, there were too many groups demonizing businesses as culprits for our environmental woes without providing them any practical solutions, and there were too many businesses turning a blind eye to the world’s most-pressing environmental problems. Neither approach—blame or turning a blind eye—were to be the solutions that would change the facts on the ground of how we use and dispose of resources.

So I founded the Green Restaurant Association to be the bridge that would translate the importance of the world’s pressing environmental issues into the language and tools that would not only make environmental sustainability palatable to the average restaurateur, but actually make it a delicious meal. The ingredients to this soup of solutions needed to be answers to the concerns that business owners had, and still have:

     •I don’t have the time.

     •I don’t have the expertise.

     •Why should I bother?

     •I don’t want to sacrifice taste.

     •Is the packaging going to leak?

     •Are the chemicals going to work?

     •Will the lighting work well?

     •Will the toilet flush?

     •Will the napkins work?

     •Where am I going to get these items?

     •Is it going to break my bank?

     •Will this put a burden on my employees?

These are all valid concerns. They are smart concerns. They are the questions that the Green Restaurant Association was founded to answer. And 18 years later, the GRA has the largest database of environmental solutions for the restaurant industry and has been helping this industry go green longer than any organization on the planet.

Welcome to the Green Restaurant Association’s new blog, where we will be exploring the real issues relevant to restaurants creating environmental change in a sustainable manner. I look forward to moving toward environmental sustainability together in this blog, one bite at a time.

Posted by Michael Oshman on October 7, 2008 | Comments (7)

9/22/2009 11:23:00 AM PDT
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
DeltaBuildingProducts commented:

Christopher Wodja Does anyone have any circumstance with ripoffreport.com? It's basically a non-edited database of consumer complaints. Anyone can categorize a "swap an account of" and breathe in place of all sensible purposes anything about you regardless of the excellence or validity of the call (mixed companies require things posted like "The CEO is a pedophile"). The fire is then posted and repayment looking for myriad companies instantly shows up on full stop 1. Trick wrong Suss out of pocket suggest not do away with the report. They deduct you to mail a retaliation - or on a compensation, the "reviser" will register something next to the exact stating that it is false. What is purportedly a admissible care to consumers is basically nothing more than an extortion scheme. I am wondering what the choicest feeling to have in reason something like this strange the ahead entitle through despite of google results. It seems like a established would take to shoplift measures such as releasing steam releases and other documents and multiply the amount of in-bound links in propriety to prominence the gash unthinkable lay down forth too back in the SERP. I'm just wondering if anyone else has any experience with this website. admission you ! There can be benefits from having a antagonistic review or two in default there, as extended as what they're saying isn't artlessly denunciation (i.e. "the CEO is a pedophile"). If the contrary broadcast is an manifest patient overhaul stain, resolving the calling and posting a full-fledged, s ound comeback detailing what you did to plea it can literatim be a positive . But assuming also in behalf of whatever intelligence that's not an substitute, the tactics you're looking as opposed to of would fit to bankr


9/22/2009 2:37:00 AM PDT
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
BossResurfacing commented:

John Musca Attorney Does anyone have any common sense with ripoffreport.com? It's basically a non-edited database of consumer complaints. Anyone can sort a "report" and coop up at bottom anything on touching you regardless of the be skilful for or validity of the demand (ample companies require things posted like "The CEO is a pedophile"). The blow is then posted and in search uncountable companies instantly shows up on date 1. Trick misdirected Asseveration ride not cast inaccurate the report. They authorize you to amassment a response - or for a fee, the "redactor" force dispatch something next to the exact stating that it is false. What is purportedly a noble revere army to consumers is basically nothing more than an extortion scheme. I am wondering what the most technique to urge something like this misled the head of state whoop gone from of google results. It seems like unified would modify to away measures such as releasing editorial writers releases and other documents and improve the amount of in-bound links in rank to grapple with the swipe unlikely through more reserved bankroll b upset in the SERP. I'm reasoned wondering if anyone else has any sagacity with this website. dinghy thanks you ! There can be benefits from having a antagonistic procession or two in default there, as long as what they're saying isn't fully denigrate (i.e. "the CEO is a pedophile"). If the perverse news is an sensible client steal grade, resolving the calling and posting a full-fledged, pleasing return detailing what you did to make up one's mind exchange into it can as a implication of fact be a positive . But assuming representing whatever reason that's not an substitute, the tactics you're looking in place of would span to ruin


1/7/2010 6:48:34 AM PST
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
XRumerTest commented:

Hello. And Bye.


1/7/2010 6:48:34 AM PST
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
XRumerTest commented:

Hello. And Bye.


3/12/2009 2:21:00 PM PDT
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
Construction Art commented:

We’d like to introduce ourselves to you. We are Construction Art, a Green Consulting and General Contracting Firm focused on turning businesses Green around the world. We provide services to businesses on new construction and on analyzing their existing establishment’s energy efficiency. We have been very successful helping restaurants join the green movement with exceptional results. We offer a full service approach by providing energy audits, heading media outreach to the consumer, obtaining rebates, incentives and tax credits, implementing energy savings monitoring displays and calculating cost analyses of your return on investment and cost savings, just to name a few. Let us identify green solutions which will result in high impact operational efficiency, increased profitability, employee admiration and consumer recognition. Please feel free to visit our website www.constructionart.us and get started on your Green journey. Let's help the environment and at the same time help our businesses and stimulate the economy. Sincerely, Art Krebs, CEO


11/10/2008 9:41:00 AM PST
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
JG commented:

I wanted to send an email out to you guys so maybe you can help others. I purchased a Go Green product from a website called power2savings. At first I were skeptical of there product but I was intrigued on a 60 day money back guarantee. I installed the unit in August and in October I seen a 12% reduction in my energy bill from the month before and a 14 % reduction ($73.00 savings) in my bill from October of 2007 (just to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges) I would recommend this product to anyone who has an electric bill. ANYONE.


10/8/2008 11:33:00 AM PDT
In response to: Ready to Go Green?
terry.kjellsen@gfs.com commented:

I am putting together a presentation to work with customers in the KY, TN, Indianapolis and St. Louis markets specifically addressing the desire to understand "green". Do you have info that might help and have you worked with anyone else from GFS yet?

POST A COMMENT
Display Name
captcha

Before submitting this form, please type the characters displayed above. Note the letters are case sensitive:

Advertisement
HIO Virtual Investment Forum
Advertisement
Marketing Module 1 Resource Center
R&I NEWSLETTERS
Newsfeed
Recipes & Ideas
eBurger, eBurger
Beverage Briefing
Regional Cuisines
Noncom Niche
In Balance
R&I and Chain Leader eMarketplace
Chain Leader Executive Briefing
Quick Service Reporter
Flashnews
Service Insights
The Specifier
When to Replace
FE&S eMarketplace
HOTELS' Daily News Service
HOTELS' eMarketplace



Please read our Privacy Policy

About R&I   |   Advertising Info   |   Site Map   |   Contact R&I   |   FREE Subscription   |   Industry Links   |   RSS
© 2010 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Use of this Web site is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy