Go Green, Help Your Bottom Line

Earth Day. Again. And, with every passing year I think it begins to matter a bit more to each of us. I am paying more attention to beauty around me.  As the glaciers continue to melt as though they were left out on a Palm Springs patio in mid summer, as the salmon disappear in the Pacific Northwest, as the Kenwood, California temperature soars to 90 degrees one day and plummets to freezing the next we all need to ask ourselves- could this really be happening?

The answer is obvious. They didn't hand out the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore because they felt badly for him. He is on to something and before it is too late we all need to do our part.

Business people especially have an obligation to assist in cleaning up the environment and alleviating the components which have been adding to its demise over the years.

Wonderful thoughts come to my each time I mention "going green." The fact is though; it is not an easy task to make the transition from bad habit to good, green product from non green, sort or not to sort.

Restaurants, however, all 900,000 of them could have a substantial effect on the go green movement that is slowly taking on momentum.

Just look around visualize your restaurant if you could go green with products that are environmentally friendly. Walking through the front door would be more enjoyable in the morning if you used a "green" window cleaner, brass polish, and door know disinfectant. Chemical barriers are not that pleasant at 7:00 am yet, green window cleaners do not have that offensive smell. Not only do they protect the environment and the people around your restaurant, but green clean has a fresher aroma that adds to your atmosphere rather than congest it.

How many Styrofoam containers do you now go through? With recent technology, green cups, to go containers, and even napkins are rapidly making there way into specialty food suppliers and albeit they may seem a bit more expensive, they really are not that costly. For the few pennies more you may need to spend on a greener to go container program, the advertising you will get out of the investment through friends, family, word of mouth, and community notoriety will be worth it from PR standpoint.

Last year, The Butler and the Chef, a small Parisian style Bistro in San Francisco gained "green status" from the city. The process was long and tedious and the inspections, paperwork and bureaucratic red tape almost ruined the project for the café's owners, yet they persevered and today- especially today- they are glad they did. The neighborhood supports their every move and the example they set for the community – obvious each day when the recycled bins are placed outside is encouraging.

Aside from something simple as to go containers, window washing chemicals and the array of dish machine detergents, we can also promote the go green movement on our menus.

We know it is impossible to shop locally on an every day basis, yet, if we were to serve less of the items that are in decline and more of the items that are readily available two things would happen. The good would survive and restaurants could possibly make higher profit margin.

If you have a hard time with the entire green movement join the club. Most people do, that's why we are in the shape we are. Yet, facts don't lie. We are in trouble. And, most of us won't be here if all goes according to Mr. Gore's points, yet, we could try to capture the past and make the future brighter. With spring upon us, think how excited we are to see green once again. Imagine spring without it.

All because we wanted to save a few bucks on to go containers. Go figure…how much you would have to raise your to go prices to cover the cost of the tan containers that boast the fact that you are doing your part.