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Sustainable Restaurant Certifications by Supriya Kanal

Posted by: | May 10, 2014 Comments Off on Sustainable Restaurant Certifications by Supriya Kanal |

To help determine whether a restaurant is sustainable, GRA uses a point system. This point system is used to evaluate whether a restaurant is permitted to receive and maintain its certification. Restaurants are required to meet certain minimum levels of points. If a restaurant goes beyond the minimum point levels, then it will be rewarded a higher certificate. These certificates are then displayed openly in the restaurant with the goal to promote its environmental responsibility.

In order for a restaurant to receive a Green Restaurant Certification, it must meet certain criteria in its environmental assessment.[9] The certification requires a certain amount of points from the categories that evaluate whether a restaurant is sustainable. The restaurant must also have a “full scale” recycling program and ban all Styrofoam products. In addition, the restaurant must pay an annual fee in order to maintain the certificate.

The B-Corp Certification and the Green Restaurant Certification share common features. One main similarity between Green Restaurant Certifications and Benefit Corporation Certifications is that both certifications look at environmental impacts in the supply chain. One of these impacts includes monitoring the disposal of waste a restaurant produces. Other impacts the certifications consider are the emissions and transportation methods used in order to supply the restaurants. Lastly, both certifications consider the efforts the restaurants make in conserving nonrenewable resources. Both certifications have criteria that attempt to track the carbon footprints of the restaurants, which can be an extremely important factor to consider when addressing sustainability efforts. By tracking carbon footprints, restaurants are able to monitor past, present, and future planning on day-to-day actions in the restaurant that may otherwise be overlooked without this standard.

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[9] Dine Green, Green Restaurant Certifications

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