As you sit down in your favorite restaurant and before you can take that first bite, your mind wanders to the environmental factor of eating out. Is it green? Well, a non profit organization has made its mission to make your dining experience as eco-friendly as eating at home. Green Restaurant Association, has been active since 1990 and hopes to bring environmentally friendly
restaurant practices to the mainstream.
Their association focuses on certifying and assisting restaurants in providing an eco-friendly dining experience. As well as certifying restaurants, they also educate consumers on where they can find green eats in their areas.
So what classifies a place as a green restaurant? The Green Restaurant Association holds their certified restaurants to the following standards (the following list was posted originally on GRA’s website) :
- Use a comprehensive recycling system for all products that are accepted by local recycling companies.
- Free of polystyrene foam (“Styrofoam”) products.
- Commit to completing four Environmental Steps per year of membership (which range from composting, to offering vegan options, to only use hand dryers in the bathrooms. Refer to GRA’s Environmental Guidelines for a complete list).
- Complete at least one Environmental Step after joining the GRA
- Become an intern at GRA
- Become a member of the GRA and receive newsletters and colored Suggestion Cards
- Donate any amount you would like to GRA
- Print GRA Suggestion Cards to leave with your check or a manager at your favorite restaurants:
July 21, 2008 at 8:10 pm
[…] work for you! Check out these helpful websites when booking hotels, bed and breakfasts, tours, and restaurants. And if you really want to be sure the lodging company you are choosing is in fact Green, there are […]
July 23, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Check out waterfochange.org to learn more about the first Zagat guide of NYC restaurants certified by the Green Restaurant Association. The guide is published thanks to Naya water, the first and only bottled water to shift to a 50% recycled plastic bottle. Please donate to the Naya fund for the revitalization of streams and rivers