While the restaurant industry focuses on bringing us memorable meals, it inevitably has a negative impact on the environment. From the carbon emissions during food production, to the water and energy used in the food supply chain, to the food waste generated in the kitchen, the c

While the restaurant industry focuses on bringing us unforgettable meals, it inevitably has a negative impact on the environment. From the carbon emissions during the production of food ingredients, to the water and energy used in the food supply chain, to the waste generated in the kitchen, the carbon footprint of restaurants cannot be ignored. In 2020, the Michelin Guide launched the Michelin Green Star for the first time to commend restaurants that can provide high-quality food while complying with ethical and environmental standards. It can be seen that green and low-carbon has become one of the important standards in the catering industry.

So, in the "catering" track, which restaurants have already reached the front? This article introduces 6 " carbon neutral " restaurants from around the world. You might as well take a look at their practices.

UK

McDonald's Drayton Market branch

In 2021, McDonald's opened its first net zero carbon restaurant in Drayton Market, UK. The restaurant incorporates the latest innovations in sustainable building design throughout and retains the traditional McDonald's look familiar to consumers, ensuring it can be effectively replicated in other branches.

This McDonald's has two wind turbines and 92 square meters of solar panels that can generate 60,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The insulation used in the restaurant’s walls is made from wool that would otherwise end up in landfill, the building cladding is made from recycled IT equipment and white household items such as washing machines, and the store’s trucks and other vehicles are also recycled from the kitchen. Biodiesel made from cooking oil. In addition, people can also see drive-thru food shopping lanes made of recycled tires, wall decorations made of used coffee beans, curbs made of plastic bottles, etc. The innovation not only greatly reduced the carbon footprint of this restaurant, but also provided a good reference idea for other industries.

Norwegian

Sushibar+Wine sushi restaurant

Sushibar+Wine is the first sushi restaurant in Finland and Norway to obtain the internationally renowned ASC and MSC seafood sustainability certificates, and is also the first carbon neutral in Northern Europe Sushi restaurant. The main raw materials in the restaurant are selected from fish and seafood with green labels in the WWF fish guide. Vegetables, fruits, etc. are also given priority to purchase organic varieties. At the same time, the restaurant has also produced its own fish guide to facilitate diners' green choices.

In addition to adopting a series of carbon reduction measures such as clean energy, recyclable and hand-designed furniture, environmentally friendly detergents, LED lighting equipment, biodegradable paper supplies, and carbon offsets, Sushibar+Wine has also made great efforts to address the issue of food waste. . In order to minimize food waste, restaurant employees prepare raw materials by hand every day based on expected operating conditions, and continue to optimize the reservation amount of raw materials as they accumulate experience to avoid storing too many food raw materials, which will cause a decrease in taste and waste of resources. As for the "waste" that once could only go into the trash can, restaurants are trying their best to develop new dishes and "turn waste into treasure" to attract more customers while being environmentally friendly.

Denmark

Vesterbro China Food restaurant

The Chinese restaurant Vesterbro China Food located in Copenhagen is the sister store of its American restaurant Mission Chinese Food in Europe and has now achieved carbon neutrality. Its core implementation method is relatively simple and straightforward, that is, donating 1% of income to a reliable third-party organization, and then using the money for climate-friendly projects that help farmers' livelihoods.

Considering that donating money is still "more people are more powerful", the restaurant will first list the surcharge on the menu, and diners can choose whether to pay an extra 1% to help the restaurant achieve carbon neutrality. If the diner refuses to pay the extra , the restaurant will make up the remaining part from its profits.In fact, Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco started trying to add a 3% "carbon neutrality project surcharge" a few years ago. Only a handful of the more than 30,000 diners who have dined at the restaurant since 2018 have questioned the fee, and only one person has steadfastly refused to participate. Restaurant founders see this as an encouraging sign, as data shows consumers are willing to pay more to reduce the restaurant industry's carbon footprint. This method is obviously more effective in Denmark where consumers are more environmentally conscious.

France

Bread Alone Bakery

Bread Alone is an old bakery in France. In 2022, the bakery was renovated. Fossil fuels are no longer used in the renovated building, and 366kW solar cells are installed on the roof. The in-store baking facilities were also replaced, and the bakery worked closely with experts in the field to design an industrial baking system that runs on an electric heat exchanger that generates heat for the new modern ovens and Wood-fired brick ovens produce steam as an alternative to traditional steam provided by propane or other oil-fired boilers. In addition, the bakery uses air handling units throughout the building to move hot air from the oven area to other locations in the building that need heating in the winter, thereby reducing the load on the air source heat pump , further Improve efficiency.

Like other restaurants, Bread Alone also makes extensive use of compostable packaging, priority local suppliers, carbon offsets and other measures, and has joined corresponding long-term donation projects, promising to use 1% of its income to support various environmental solutions. Through these efforts, the bakery received carbon neutral certification in 2022, becoming the first carbon neutral bakery in France.

UK

Wahaca Restaurant

Wahaca is a very popular Mexican restaurant brand in the UK. In 2016, it became the first certified carbon-neutral restaurant group in the UK. Wahaca's current approach to achieving carbon neutrality also relies in part on carbon offset projects, with the goal of reaching true net-zero emissions by 2025.

In terms of specific carbon reduction measures, the restaurant has adopted LED lighting and sensors in all branches since 2011; from April 2021, all energy procurement within its control will be changed to 100% renewable electricity and natural gas ; the restaurant is equipped with an ecological water purification system, and tries to replace bottled water with free filtered water; uses the heat energy generated by refrigerators and freezers to heat water; more than 90% of takeout packaging is made of compostable or recyclable materials; other operations Related products such as dishwashers, printers, toilet paper, etc. also choose products with sustainable certification. In 2022, Wahaca also calculated the carbon footprint of each dish and introduced a carbon rating to its menu, informing diners of the overall greenhouse gas emissions of each dish as a way to encourage diners to make conscious choices to be kinder to the planet. Dishes, this operation is the first of its kind in the British catering circle.

United States

Le Botaniste Restaurant

Le Botaniste is an organic plant-based restaurant that became the first carbon-neutral restaurant in New York City in the United States in 2016. The restaurant worked with an environmental consulting agency to calculate the total emissions of each dish based on the greenhouse gas emissions of each organic vegetable, grain, and other ingredients used in the restaurant. It also calculated the electricity consumption, paper products, and other supplies used in the restaurant's operations. carbon footprint to gain a complete understanding of the environmental impact of the entire restaurant supply chain. On this basis, the restaurant has adopted a series of carbon reduction measures, including choosing sustainable agriculture suppliers, using compostable takeout containers, and funding carbon offset projects in Ghana.

Considering that the carbon emissions of the supply chain itself are not static, Le Botaniste re-evaluates and updates various carbon footprint figures every year.Before and after the International Day of Forests in 2021, the restaurant also organized a week-long "Planting Le Botaniste Forest in Peru" event. In addition to each of the 55 employees in the store donating a tree, Le Botaniste has included "planting a tree" on the menu during the event. If diners are willing to "order" this "dish", the restaurant will complete it on their behalf. One planting donation. In just one week, 100 diners participated in the event.

text | Zhu Lin

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