Different people ’Go Green’ in their lifestyles, their homes or their business for a wide variety of reasons, this article will review some of those factors You may decide to green your restaurant for any reason but there are many benefits when you Go Green today. In business there are a number of typical ‘drivers’ or causes for the shift. Whatever your motive for reading this, we thank you for at least considering the subject of Greening Your Restaurant. That is because restaurants can have a strong influence in their communities. When restaurants go green, people notice. When a restaurant goes green, it can make a big difference in energy savings, waste recovery, local food production and many other areas but the first point before we discuss the benefits of greening is more basic; why go green now?
The world needs our attention to the environment, because climate change is real, on land all over the planet, species habitat is being threatened and the oceans are in peril of mass extinctions. The problems seem enormous but hope lies in the fact that we can make a difference in the same way that real and meaningful change always starts, with small steps taken with purpose in the right direction.
ETHICS
One of the first reasons that people go green is ethics, and ethics are often understood or defined as socially accepted norms of doing good. Because people generally feel good about doing the right thing, then ethics are one of the primary factors in why people make the choice to go green. As our society learns more about what doing that right thing is, in terms of the environment and sustainability, then ethical thinking and action becomes easier to get on board with and the green movement gains traction. Not everyone is committed to change but they see it as the future, so where will your business be in 5 years? Will you be more energy and resource conscious? We expect that our entire industry will be greener and reaping benefits from an engaged and supportive public.
MARKETING
The second strong driver in the growing green movement is marketing, because sustainability is selling today and there has been impressive growth in that sector even in the aftermath of the 2008 meltdown. As the economy continues to recover, one can only expect even faster growth in the green sector. Consumers today are seeking more green products and business services, they are looking for healthier food alternatives, they want higher quality, many are interested in preserving the environment and everyone seems to be into saving time and money. When a business is seen to ‘walk the talk’ they build consumer confidence. People are becoming skeptical of greenwashing claims so credible green marketing is important. Transparency about green practices by telling your customers what exactly you are doing makes them feel good about supporting your restaurant. Certification by third parties through various agencies like the Green Restaurant Association or LEAF also lends credibility.
STAFF
In many restaurant businesses which have gone green, the primary driver was either a young staff or an engaged owner with a desire to go green, knowing that it would attract and retain young workers longer. I have seen dramatic reversals in head office thinking after focus groups listened to the younger staff express their views about the company’s sustainability policy and behaviour. Staff engagement is an important retention factor today and green policies and practices have been shown to have positive engagement benefits, people feel better about working for businesses that have solid green credentials. Bold and innovative leadership engages staff to follow with confidence and to feel good about their place of employment leading to better workplace attitude and enhanced staff retention statistics.
COMPLIANCE
With a changing political and social landscape, regulatory compliance is becoming a big factor for business. Many green initiatives such as various forms of recycling are mandatory in most jurisdictions. By taking a proactive green approach a restaurant can often avoid potential issues with regulators. Although few rules about green practices are mandatory today, issues like water efficiency, energy savings, recycled materials and waste handling are becoming the focus of municipal and regional governments many of which have put various rules and regulations in place already on these topics. For example sorting paper from cardboard, glass and plastic from other waste is required for restaurants in the Capital Regional District where I live. With increased drought conditions occurring with greater frequency, water efficiency and even water use rationing is happening in parts of the southern US. With electrical energy shortages creating brown-outs, it is easy to imagine more and more regulation about high energy use businesses.
GRANTS
Linked to compliance as the carrot, is the complicated world of incentive grants which vary from place to place and year to year. The commonality about grants however is that early adapters are generally the major beneficiaries of grants. Therefore you are encouraged to look into opportunities in your area as soon as you can to benefit from any possible grants that may now be available to your business. Once behaviour becomes normal, then habits become rules, and the grants that were used to start the change in behavior are no longer required or available.
So why go green now? The drivers are ethics, marketing, staff retention, regulatory compliance, grants and future financial benefits through cost savings. Going green should be considered as a process and we encourage you to start with the easy steps that will have the highest and fastest returns. Then if those savings are invested in larger and more costly initiatives with a higher but longer ROI, the greening can be self-financed until the point that your goals are reached and you have a green restaurant with improved efficiency, better staff retention, a loyal customer base and improved profits. Why Go Green Now? Well why not, when the rewards can be so good for your business in so many ways. I’ll show you how in the following articles.
JC Scott of JC Scott eco Design Associates Inc.
