Happy Earth Day!

The first Earth Day activities in April of 1970 mixed Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, young and old, and white-collared workers with labor leaders.  All took time out of their busy day to look for ways to green up their local neighborhoods. Today, Earth Day is still a time for everyone to reflect on how we can make a positive impact on our own environments ... including the foodservice industry.

Here are 12 simple ways that you can green-up the foodservice industry right away:

1. Leaky faucets - Fix water leaks right away, especially hot water leaks- wasted water, sewer, and water heating costs can add up to hundreds of dollars a year.
2. Install compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) - This is a process that you've probably already started, now complete the task. Check walk-in and reach-in refrigeration lights and kitchen ventilation hoods. CFLs can reduce the lamp's heat by 75%.
3. Walk-in refrigeration - perform regular walk-in refrigeration maintenance by routinely checking and replacing worn door gaskets; make sure doors close tightly, clean evaporator and condenser coils, and check the refrigerator charge.
4. Reduce, Recycle and Reuse - Reduce the amounts of water and energy you use; Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum; and Reuse - encourage customers to bring in their own coffee mugs, soda cups and other reusable beverage containers.
5. Start composting - Composting can be a great way to reduce waste, cut waste hauling fees and potentially help local farmers or gardeners. If on-site composting isn't an option, contact your local waste hauler regarding their services.
6. Install a high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valve in your dishroom to help conserve water. In addition, make sure the dishwasher is full each time it runs.
7. Steam cookers provide an effective way to batch-cook food but often times generating steam is an energy-intensive process. Look for a steamer with a sealed cooking cavity that consumes a fraction of the energy and water required by traditional open systems.
8. Fryers - purchase fryers that offer an insulted fry pot which can reduce standby losses, giving the fryer a lower idle rate.
9. Space heating and air conditioning make up about 25% of a restaurant's energy bill; the largest energy cost next to cooking. Install programmable thermostats on HVAC equipment to control heating and cooling during non-operating hours.
10. Find eco-friendly, biodegradable green products to clean up the kitchen area. Green cleaning products are often just as effective as products using harsh chemicals.
11. Ice machines - cut down on daytime electricity consumption by installing a timer and shifting ice production to nighttime off-peak hours.
12. Replace worn out cooking and refrigeration equipment with ENERGY STAR® qualified models.