Every month, Seattle-area businesses throw away more than 1,000 tons of edible food.  Meanwhile, Washington State has the ninth highest level of hunger in the nation.  In addition to donating surplus foods to local meal programs, restaurants have great potential to improve their performance in ways that benefit the bottom line and save resources.

Key environmental opportunities for restaurants and food service businesses include:

• Collecting food waste for recycling
• Upgrading to more efficient dishwashing, refrigeration, ice machines, and other equipment that consumes less energy and water
• Properly maintaining grease traps and having waste oil and grease processed into biodiesel
• Purchasing local, seasonal, and organic foods, minimizing transportation and chemical use

Cupcake Royale, Palomino, and Ray’s Boathouse have adopted conservation practices that benefit their bottom line, employees and the environment.  Palomino recently installed water and energy-efficient food steamers, Ray’s Boathouse collects food waste for composting, Cupcake Royale is upgrading dishwashing equipment and restroom fixtures to reduce their water and energy consumption.