Sustainability is at the core of our mission here at Urban Element.
The use of plastic bags, disposable containers and straws, coupled with significant food waste are two of the top reasons restaurants are among the most wasteful industries. The National Restaurant Owners Association states that “an estimated 133 billion pounds of food from stores, restaurants and homes was wasted in 2010, according to the USDA. The amount of uneaten food from homes and restaurants in 2008 was valued at $390 per consumer…Most food that’s thrown away ends up in landfills, where it can have negative environmental impacts.” https://www.restaurant.org/advocacy/Food-Waste Retrieved 9/28/18.
We hope to change that. Here’s how:
- In an effort to reduce food waste, we compost all kitchen and table waste, thanks to our friends at Garbage to Garden. And purchasing fresh local food, not only allows us to not only use the best ingredients, it allows to purchase just what we need more frequently
- We provide compostable bags and to-go containers for take out and taking home leftovers
- We provide compostable straws and napkins and compost them with food waste
- One of the many benefits of buying local is that items tend to be packaged in less plastic
- We utilize a comprehensive zero sort recycling system to recycle many types of plastic, paper, cardboard & glass, making it easy for our employees to embrace our sustainable goals