State of Restaurant Sustainability

Wonder how restaurants reduce waste and conserve resources? The National Restaurant Association released the State of Restaurant Sustainability. The Association surveyed more than 500 restaurant owners and 1,000 consumers and released some takeaways;
 
Energy-saving equipment and practices

• Eight in 10 restaurant operators use energy-efficient lighting
• Six in 10 use programmable thermostats
• Six in 10 restaurant kitchens use start-up/shut-down schedules to reduce the energy drain of kitchen equipment
• More than four in 10 use Energy Star-rated refrigerators, freezers and icemakers

 
Food waste reduction is key for operators

• About half of restaurant operators track the amount of food waste their restaurant generates
• Operators (about one in five) donate edible leftovers to charities
  
  

More restaurants are implementing water-saving practices

• Low-flush toilets are in use in about half of restaurant operations
• More than one in four restaurants are using other innovations (high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves and faucet aerators)