With going eco-friendly more of a requirement for businesses now rather than a novel idea, food businesses should be working towards doing their bit to be helping the environment since food production contributes to a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases. Not only will it bring in customers but it will benefit food businesses in multiple ways in the long run. Here, the UK’s first closed-loop sustainable takeaway brand DabbaDrop explains six ways that food businesses can go green and show the environment some kindness.Â
Provide sustainable packaging
A small change of switching to cardboard bags and boxes instead of plastic ones which inevitably get thrown away can make all the difference as plastic can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to biodegrade – plus they make the food look much more appealing.
Consider how the food is delivered
Ditching cars or mopeds and delivering the food by other means is another great way to go green. Delivering via bicycle or on foot is the way to go as the customer’s food won’t arrive on the back of a moped with fumes pouring out of the exhaust. Bicycle delivery also provides low-cost, flexible employment, particularly for people seeking part-time and temporary work. Done right, customers can benefit as their food often arrives faster than via car and if the business is located in a city, changing the delivery method can help ease congestion and pollution.
Offer plant-based items on the menu
The process of getting meat from animal to plate is extraordinarily damaging to the environment. On average it takes about 1,800 gallons of water to harvest a single pound of meat, and the meat industry is responsible for around one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gases, which are directly contributing to climate change. Cutting back meat portions will make the menu more sustainable and benefit the planet as well. Changing the menu seasonally i.e only offering food grown at the time of year, will ensure that food isn’t being imported unnecessarily.
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Ensure no food is wasted
Businesses should consider asking customers how many people they are cooking for at the point of subscription so they can ensure we’re not overcooking. Managing portions is crucial, whether the business is a sit-down restaurant or a deliverable takeaway.The UK currently wastes over 15 million tonnes of food each year and portion control can play a vital part in reducing this. There are also some creative ways that food scraps and overripe foods can be used to prevent food waste. For example, vegetable scraps can be used to create a delicious homemade vegetable broth. Additionally, many overripe fruits have the perfect sweetness and texture for baked goods.
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Use alternative energy sources
Food businesses use a lot of energy across three main areas: lighting, refrigeration, and cooling. Luckily, there are ways to reduce consumption, the demand for electricity, and ultimately the carbon emissions released when generating it. Installing energy efficient appliances such as LED lighting and Energy Star certified appliances is a good place to start. Additionally, installing occupancy sensors in freezers that shut down automatically to conserve energy, identifying energy leaks from faulty appliances, using energy efficient insulation to reduce the amount of electricity used for heating and cooling, or even considering investing in renewable energy i.e solar panels and wind power are ways to drastically reduce energy consumption.
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Source ingredients locally
Not only is it great for the environment as delivery distance is shorter but there are benefits for both the buyer and supplier. Local suppliers are typically more reactive than suppliers who are farther away. They can deliver products quicker, and it is much easier for a supplier to coordinate a shipment across the neighborhood than around the world. The further away the supplier is from the business, the less control it has over them. Suppliers may say that they treat all of their customers and purchase orders the same, but if they anticipate a site visit or a drop-in meeting, chances are they will keep that business top of mind. Face-to-face visits will allow the business owner to address any concerns and ensure all products meet their standards. Many local producers pride themselves on keeping their product organic, hormone free and pesticide free. Not only is this beneficial to the consumer, it’s also beneficial to the environment. Keeping harmful toxins, like pesticides, out of the air helps to improve crops and air quality. In addition, because the produce is fresh and brought directly from farm to table, there is less waste.
