BOSTON Claiming a former rating system needed adjustments to keep up with the times, the Green Restaurant Association said its upgraded certification standards are intended to help members become as environmentally sustainable as possible.
The certification program is designed to help GRA members create more eco-friendly operating environments and reduce energy, waste and other costs. Other benefits include boosting employee morale and customer traffic through publicity generated by the marketed green efforts, according to the GRA.
The new standards, called Green Restaurant 4.0, were introduced last month, and offer restaurateurs three levels of certification: two-star certified green restaurants, which requires a minimum of 100 points; three-star certified green restaurants, which requires a minimum of 175 points; and four-star certified green restaurants, which are categorized as “trailblazers” and have recorded a total of at least 470 points. Points are accrued as participating operators complete steps to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and use environmentally friendly products, among others. The GRA had certified more than 300 members by August 2008, up from about 70 in 2006.
“We’ve been around for almost 20 years and upgrade our standards every few years, and this upgrade is exciting since it’s the first since green really took hold in society,” said Michael Oshman, the GRA’s executive director. “What used to be 11 environmental guidelines have become seven categories. The restaurants will have to do a little bit in each segment. The system is very transparent.”
Oshman indicated that the biggest difference between the old and new systems is that participating restaurants previously only had to complete four steps per year, but now they have to make changes in six out of seven categories.
“They’ll have to do more before certification is granted,” he said. “The program we had for the past 18 years really worked well, but the system we have now would have been completely inappropriate.”
The GRA chief added that under the new standards steps are weighted differently, with some actions scored higher than others.
“Say you go all organic,” he said. “Right now that is [worth] 40 points versus [using environmentally friendly] napkins. That could be four points. The steps that have a larger environmental impact have more points. Those that are lower are weighted lower.”
Oshman said that the recession has not dampened interest in the green movement. He noted that many restaurateurs still are interested in pursuing eco-friendly operations.
“We are hearing more about the economy, but people are holding on,” he said. “They’re a little more trepidatious, but it’s still moving. This is the time to invest in energy and water efficiency. Even in these crazy times, we’re getting calls from businesses that want to come aboard.
“That’s a testament to how important this issue is,” he continued. “Green really is popular. If the economy were not where it is there’d be a vertical line going straight up. It’s still very consistent, but I do think it would be even stronger.”