The National Restaurant Association has launched a pilot program aimed at helping restaurants incorporate environmental sustainability practices and recognizing them for their efforts.
The Greener Restaurants program is expected to show operators how to save money while becoming more eco-friendly, the NRA said Monday. A limited number of restaurants are participating in the pilot program, which is expected to be launched industrywide over the next few months.
“We listened to what our members have told us they wanted: a flexible, effective and affordable program to help them do the right thing for the planet and for their businesses,” said Dawn Sweeney, the NRA’s president and chief executive.
The program features a checklist of action items that range from small steps, such as using low-energy light bulbs, to more ambitious goals, like replacing kitchen equipment with more energy-efficient models. In addition to the checklist, instructional videos are available to help operators implement each practice.
After selecting the areas of focus they are interested in pursuing, participants in the program can build profiles on an interactive website, where they can also report the progress they have made.
When the website launches industrywide, it will include a national search engine, the NRA said. Additionally, participating restaurants will receive door decals and other marketing materials that highlight their commitment to sustainable practices.
Although the NRA's program is designed to assist operators with implementing their green initiatives, it does not offer any kind of certification or perform audits like the ones conducted by the Green Restaurant Association and other groups.
The program, an extension of the NRA’s Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative, was developed in cooperation with the Turner Foundation, Kendall College, the Food Service Technology Center and EPA Energy Star.
Contact Elissa Elan at [email protected].
