As I was hauling our home recycling bins to the curb the other night, I reflected on the recycling practices of a few fast-casual restaurants where I’d eaten recently. In contrast to the vast majority of quick-service restaurants, a handful of operators are trying to reduce their contributions to our nation’s landfills.
Two chains dedicated to this cause are Panera Bread Co. and Noodles & Company. Both offer customers who are eating in the restaurants china plates, bowls, mugs and metal flatware. Panera customers put their used dishes in a clearly marked bin that also has separate places to put recyclable bottles and cans.
“It’s a long-standing part of the Panera experience,” said spokesman Andrew Carlson. “It’s an enhancement for the customers where people feel comfortable and more like they’re eating at home.”
Extra costs and labor associated with washing dishes are minimal, he said, and more or less balance out with costs saved on purchasing higher quantities of disposable containers.
Likewise, 150-unit Noodles & Company has served its noodle-based specialties in china bowls since the chain’s inception in 1995.
“It helps the environment by reducing our impact and also makes customers feel more special,” said spokeswoman Krista Koranda.
Even Noodles’ to-go containers are environmentally responsible, made from recycled paper. Plastic bags are biodegradable and made from recycled plastic, Koranda noted.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, a leader in sustainable culinary practices like seeking out organic and additive-free food, also gives a nod to recycling by having specially marked places for customers to put used bottles.
Così serves its warm flat-bread sandwiches on reusable tin plates for eating in and offers china mugs at its espresso bar. I, for one, much prefer drinking cappuccino as nature intended, in a china cup.
Corner Bakery is giving away 10,000 coffee travel mugs, which customers can bring in to be refilled for 30 cents less than the menu price. This policy has the added benefit of transferring dishwashing duties to the customer. Several coffee chains also offer similar options.
I have to commend my hometown airport, O’Hare International, a department of the city of Chicago, for prominently placing recycling bins on the concourses for plastic bottles, cans and clean paper. In my travels, I haven’t noticed too many other airports following suit.
Someday, perhaps all disposable containers will be made from biodegradable corn or potato starch, which a few small operators, including Pizza Fusion, Hurricane Grill and Wings, and Grille Zone are using. These materials are said to decompose within a month or two, leaving behind no harmful substances.
As readers of our upcoming special section on the “greening” of the industry will learn, many operators are working to incorporate more sustainable policies into their businesses. Trying harder to promote reusable, recyclable or biodegradable containers is a good start.