| | | | In This Member Letter: *Food Waste *STL Green Drinks *Composting Grant *Greenwashing Blog *New GDA Members *The Refill Effect *GDA Recerts Dear Friend, Let's have some focus on food waste prevention in July. When asked about food waste logs I often hear "We just don't waste that much" or "We wouldn't waste food, it's bad for business." Unless you are checking your trash, recycling, and compost bins daily there's likely food waste that never gets noticed. While you may not think food waste is a problem at your place here are some statistics to consider. The US restaurant industry is responsible for 37% of food waste, 72% of diners in the US care about how restaurants handle food waste, and 47% are willing to spend more at restaurants with active food recovery programs (Unilever Report). P.S. For all of our dog owners and lovers out there we have a new GDA certification where both you and your four-legged friend can enjoy food and drinks in a fun, engaging, and sustainable atmosphere! - Ben Daugherty (GDA Program Manager) | | Food Waste Prevention Tips | | | | Four to 10 percent of food purchased by restaurants never gets to customers, and 30 to 40 percent of the food served to customers never gets consumed (FoodPrint). "When you look at the difference between composting organics versus donating food, or reducing food waste through better inventory management and changing your purchasing habits, [the difference] is dramatic, and the dollar value is even more dramatic" (ReFED). Below are some articles to reference when discussing food waste prevention practices with staff. | | | | | | | | | | | | Support local, green dining and join in the conversations of fellow environmentalists and sustainable living advocates. The second Wednesday of each month will feature a new GDA-certified establishment for happy hour. St. Louis Green Drinks will be hosting their July happy hour at the GDA-certified Crow's Nest in the Maplewood Green Dining District. Come see what everyone is complaining about! When: Wednesday, July 12th (5-7pm) Location: The Crow's Nest - 7336 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO 63143 *Contact Ben@earthday-365.org if you are interested in hosting a Green Drinks happy hour. Expected guest counts are typically 15-30 guests. | | | | Grant Funding for Composting | | | | Financial Support for Composting If you have been GDA certified within the last 16 months, you will qualify to start receiving $20 off/month ($240/year) on your composting service bill. The funding will be accessible for 1 year and will need to be applied for each year. If you are currently paying a compost service to pick up your food scraps or would like to start, you can receive financial support for composting by clicking the link below to fill out the application form. Keeping food waste out of the landfill yields huge environmental benefits. When food waste is dumped into landfills it creates a lot of methane gas which is a big contributor to forced climate transformation. Composted food scraps are transformed into healthy viable soil for gardens. Another benefit is that your landfill footprint should decrease allowing you to re-evaluate the size and frequency of landfill pickups which should reduce costs. | | | | | | | | | | | | Help Chefs Navigate Greenwashing In case you missed it, GDA intern, Charlie Brennan, wrote a blog highlighting some important observations on greenwashing and how it's found everywhere from chemicals to packaging to vegetables. Charlie works at Olive + Oak and has some great insights that every chef should review to prevent greenwashed products from finding their way into your operations. Click the button below to read the blog. | | | | | | | | | | Bar K - St. Louis Sustainable dog lovers rejoice! Bar K is a dog park, bar, restaurant, and event space all rolled into a fun adventurous experience. From dog treats made with J. Reiger Bourbon spent grains to giant dog bone cakes made from scratch Bar K has sustainable options. Does your doggie need something to wash that down with? No problem, Chardognay is available for purchase along with an array of baked dog treats from Three Dog Bakery in Kansas City, MO. Bar K and Three Dog Bakery make their dog treats form scratch using healthy and locally sourced ingredients. Other sustainable features of Bar K include a sprawling rain garden. EV charging stations, repurposed shipping containers for satellite bars, and much more. All of the tennis balls offered to dogs have been donated and vetted for quality for your furry friends. All beverages except for Kaldi's coffee are served in reusable cups and each bar features local spirits, beer on tap from UCBC, 4 HANDS, Schlafly, and many more. The kitchen combats food waste by utilizing a food waste log, offers a Beyond Burger and several veggie options for meatless customers, and composts with New Earth Farm which also offers a community composting bin for members of Bar K. Bar K is involved with several local organizations and non for profits including Bar K Barks Back where they donate a portion of sales to a different NFP each quarter. Roof solar panels are coming later this fall. Come see what all the dogs are barking about! Click here for a link to their GDA profile page. | |  | | |  | | | | | | | Bulk Buys for Sustainable Chemicals The Refill Effect is a sustainable household supply store and refillery of cleaning products for your home or business located in the Downtown Kirkwood Business District. Owner, Sarah Kim, encourages bringing your own containers for filling and also has a selection of containers in store for sale as well as complimentary containers for reuse. They source all their products with safe ingredients and sustainability in mind, utilizing local businesses and companies who provide a closed loop option for containers whenever possible. Their refill lineup of more than 30 options includes glass cleaner, hand soap, dish soap, organic white vinegar, and multi-purpose cleaners, to name a few. To date, they have made more than 300,000 pieces of plastic obsolete and have helped plant over 250 trees to aid in reforestation efforts. Bulk options and business pricing are available! | | | | Recent GDA Recertifications! | | | | | | | | earthday365
4125 Humphrey St | Saint Louis, Missouri 63116
314.282.7533 | info@earthday-365.org | | | | | | | | | | | |
