Atlanta Businesses Embrace Environmental Sustainability Programs

There’s a responsibility movement underway in Atlanta.

Discovering that the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau had lost a competitive bid to Orlando for a conference because Atlanta didn’t have an environmental program in place, business leaders and residents several years ago decided to embrace environmental sustainability as a core practice in their planning and programming. This commitment eventually organized around a new initiative, The Zero Waste Zone (ZWZ) in downtown Atlanta. Affiliated with Atlanta Recycles, the ZWZ is managed in partnership with the Green Foodservice Alliance. The Green Foodservice Alliance educates restaurant owners and foodservice operators on how they can increase their energy efficiency, reduce/divert waste and incorporate the use of natural, non-toxic cleaning and sanitation supplies. It also provides a forum where stakeholders come together to discuss a more sustainable foodservice industry.

The geographic area of the ZWZ is the downtown Atlanta convention district where a tremendous amount of waste is sent to landfills that could otherwise be recycled. The charter participants within ZWZ represent the largest foodservice operators in the area, and include convention facilities, event and entertainment venues, hotels and restaurants.

ZWZ participants pledge to comply with the following criteria:

1. Recycling of common recyclables (paper, cardboard, metals, glass and plastics)
2. Recycling of spent grease (from kitchen fryers) to be used in the local production of bio-fuel.
3. Donation of excess edible food in compliance with the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to organizations that feed the hungry.
4. Composting of food residuals (organic food waste).

The goal of the Zero Waste Zone is to decrease the amount of waste going to landfills and to increase the beneficial use of things that otherwise may be thrown away.

Beyond being able to now cater to the increased demands from conference and meeting planners, the organizers of the Atlanta ZWZ have good cause to embrace sustainability and most especially diversion of food waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of food waste generated in the US is huge, with Americans throwing out 96 Billion pounds each year or roughly 25% of the total food prepared. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the nation spends about one billion dollars a year to dispose of food waste.

After paper and yard waste, food waste is the third largest element (approx. 13%) of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in America. The decomposition of food and other organic waste materials under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG) 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Landfills are the largest human-related source of methane in the United States, accounting for 34 percent of all methane emissions.

Fifth Group Restaurants Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

One of the participants in the program is Fifth Group Restaurants, an operator of six unique dining outlets, all located in central Atlanta. Since its establishment in 1993, Fifth Group has maintained a legacy of commitment to its employees, customers, community and the environment.

Some time ago, the company banned the use of trans fat in preparation of its food in all six of its restaurants. According to Fifth Group Restaurants Partner Robby Kukler, “As a restaurant company, we believe in offering guests the foods they want without sacrificing taste, but we also believe in offering healthy options for our patrons.” “Trans fats do not benefit the taste, texture or quality of food in any way, and so now when customers dine at a Fifth Group Restaurant, they can focus on enjoying the meal instead of worrying about harmful trans fats.”

And the credentials keep coming with the Atlanta Business Chronicle recently citing Fifth Group Restaurants as one of the best places to work in Atlanta.

But it is in the area of environmental sustainability where Fifth Group shines. Healthy Living Marketing recently caught up with one of Fifth Group’s owners, Steve Simon, at a Zero Waste planning meeting in our hometown of Frederick, Maryland. Steve was asked to speak to business and government leaders as well as restaurant operators on how Fifth Group has integrated sustainable principles in their units.

Highlights of their sustainability program include:

1. Fifth Group recycles and composts at least 95% of product that comes through their doors, resulting in 500,000 lbs. of waste being diverted from landfills annually. Composting is now coming back to the restaurants for use in Fifth Group’s roof-top garden. The homegrown vegetables and herbs make it directly back to customers through dishes on the menu, completely closing the recycling loop.

2. In May 2009, Fifth Group’s restaurant Ecco became the first restaurant in the state of Georgia to operate without a dumpster. Currently, four of their units now operate without trash dumpsters as they’ve been able to successfully divert all waste to recycling and composting. Future plans call for all six units to be dumpster free.

3. Fifth Group converts all of its “spent grease” to bio-diesel.

4. Fifth Group’s catering company, Bold American Company, recycles everything, with the exception of food waste (which is very challenging given the mobile nature of the catering operation).

And the best news for Fifth Group’s owners – all of these activities are “cost neutral”.

If you would like to learn more about Healthy Living Marketing, and social responsibility and sustainability campaign development, please contact us at (301) 378-0384.

Tags: Atlanta, Atlanta Recycles, environmental sustainability, Fifth Group Restaurants, Green Foodservice Alliance, Zero Waste Zone, zwz