Running a restaurant does not have to be a dirty, polluting, messy affair. In fact, many restaurants, cafes, and bistros on the California coast have shown that it is possible to serve great food while still doing your part to save the Earth. If you want to follow suit, here are some things you can do to help.
Hire a Sewer Cleaning Company That Recycles Grease Trap Sludge into Power
Sewer cleaning companies that offer grease trap cleanings are a dime a dozen. What makes some of these companies stand out is their commitment to the environment. They will clean your grease traps out, and then recycle the leavings into methane. The methane gas is then converted into clean electrical power, which you can then subscribe to power your restaurant.
Solar Energy
If the sewer company can take your grease trap sludge and turn it into electrical power for others, but your restaurant is too far away from the power plant where your grease trap contents go, you can use solar power instead. At least you know that your grease trap contents are providing cheap, clean energy for others, and you can still use a clean source of electrical energy yourself. Since most restaurants have a flat roof, it is also ideal for the installation of solar panels. Say goodbye to expensive electrical bills and hello to all the power you need in your restaurant.
Send Leftovers Home in Edible Containers
Styrofoam, plastic, cardboard, and other paper products are frequently used to send leftovers home with customers. This stuff chokes up landfills and does biodegrade as well as you would like or think. Instead, send the leftovers home in edible containers. These newly-developed products are made entirely out of rice or corn starches, soy paper, and/or other edible "paper" products.
Customers can eat the containers, or they can toss them. If their dogs get into the garbage and eat the containers, no harm, no foul because the containers are meant to be eaten. In the event that customers opt to throw the containers, the organic nature of the containers allows them to break down in a landfill in much the same way as fruit or vegetables. Scavenger birds, rodents, etc., can all consume bits of these containers without being harmed, too. It is the ideal way of keeping everyone and everything safe on the planet without having to recycle.
For more information, contact a company like Tierra Environmental & Industrial Services.
After I started reading more and more about carbon footprints, I realized that a lot of what I did put a strain on the environment. From ordering things online that required a lot of shipping to my home to driving everywhere, I knew I had a lot that needed to change. I started talking with a family friend of mine about how to create positive change, and she had some awesome ideas about ways to help. She worked with me to recognize different ways I needed to improve, and within a few months, things had really gotten a lot better. This website is all about reducing carbon emissions safely and efficiently.