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The process of turning your restaurant into an eco-friendly business may sound like a daunting process due to the number of changes you will likely need to take at your foodservice establishment. However, changing your day-to-day operations for more sustainable practices will not only help with the environment but allows you to attract and build connections with eco-conscious customers. Here are several ways to consider starting your process and changing your restaurant into an eco-friendlier establishment.

1. Use Eco-Friendly Disposable

There are many great eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic disposables. Such as plastic utensils and containers that are easily replaceable by using biodegradable or compostable options that are made out of renewable materials such as sugarcane, bamboo, or PLA plastic.

If your business also provides drinks for take-out, eco-friendly straws that are biodegradable are a must-have. Even though paper straws are the first that comes to mind when replacing plastic straws due to its low cost and easy accessibility. However, customers' experience is being greatly impacted, many people complain about how they are unable to enjoy their beverage like they used to while their straws turn soggy and mushy in the middle of their drinks. Luckily there is more than just paper material in the market. Several plant-based materials that are available include bamboo, sugarcane, agave, and cornstarch. Let’s look further into the limitation of paper straws and benefits of plant-based straws. 

THE LIMITATIONS OF PAPER STRAWS

• Tend to lose shape and get soggy
• Leave a poor taste in mouth, often from the glue used in producing the straws
• May not be environmentally friendly due to the used of wax and film coating that prolong their decomposing time
• Require extra energy and resources to manufacture than plastic straws

BENEFITS OF PLANT-BASED MATERIAL

• Commercially compostable and biodegradable
• Water-resistant
• Better customer experience
• Excellent functional strength
• Suitable for cold and warm drinks
• Various options, including straight(standard), flexible, cocktail, bubble tea, and cut-tip and obtainable multiple sizes

2. Choose Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Cleaning Products is one of the many things that is required when running your business. However, when restaurant owners are attempting to make an eco-friendlier change, these products are usually always overlooked. This may be because they were not aware that traditional cleaning products are made with harmful chemicals or there was an option for more earth-friendly cleaning products available in the market.

When searching for eco-friendly cleaning products, read its label and search for products that do not contain a high number of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compound), fragrances, and flammable ingredients. These ingredients do not break down easily and may cause allergic reactions and headaches to customers. Therefore, when placing your next order with your vendor ask them if they provide any eco-friendly alternatives cleaning products.

3. Invest in Energy-Efficient Appliances

In the foodservice industry, electricity is being used the most through the use of multiple appliances around the store. An efficient way to cut down on your restaurant’s energy usages to switch from standard appliances to energy-efficient models. Even more, several small changes you can make to reduce the use of energy consumption:

• Switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, for example LED, halogen, and CFL bulbs
• Use spot air conditioning to cool your space rather than running the building air condition
• Cleaning the condenser coils on your refrigeration equipment. Because when dust accumulate on your refrigeration equipment it causes it to work harder and creates more energy consumptions
• Turn equipment off when it’s not in use

The best way to reduce your carbon footprint for your restaurant is by purchasing your order with a local establishment. The reasoning behind it, is to shorten the distance of travel time between your restaurant and the provider while reducing environmental impact. To take it a step further, you can consider ordering your products in bulk quantities and lessen the frequency of delivery that also help with reducing your carbon footprint.

Curious about Canada made sugarcane straw? Click here to get free samples.

5. Reduce Food Waste

When providing a large quantity of food per serving to your customer may seem like an interesting strategy to attract customers. However, they are unable to finish it in a single meal, therefore all this extra leftover will end up being thrown away that causes large amounts of food waste. Additionally, inventory management is very important in reducing food waste by controlling the usage of each food ingredient and which products need to be used first. You can implement several methods to help track and reduce food waste. Such as:

• Implement FIFO, First In First Out, methods help ensure inventory is constantly rotated and older ingredients are used first.
• Conduct food waste audits, either by using a POS system or by hand to track your inventory waste and orders. You will be able to know how much of each ingredient are in stock that prevent you from over-ordering
• Use portion control tools, such as requiring cooks to use portion scoops, measuring cups, food scales, and other portion control tools when preparing meals. It not only provided consistency to your food but also minimize food waste.
• Store food properly, It is vital to seal and store ingredients in their proper location. It helps with to increasing their shelf life and reducing coast

It is impossible to eliminate food waste, but we can always choose a better way by recycling and joining a compost program. Leftover food that is being composted will be broken down into dirt or soil that can be used as replacement of harmful chemical fertilizers. Things that can be composted include food scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, or even tea bags. 

It’s Time To Change For The Better

Changing your restaurant to an eco-friendlier establishment is beneficial for the environment. You are helping to reduce the amount of food waste that is being created on a daily basis and by changing to a biodegradable disposable to minimize your carbon footprint. These changes also help save you some money by reducing the use of energy throughout the day. With all the work you have put in to make your restaurant more sustainable, remember to share and promote your initiatives. People love hearing about good things and you will be able to attract new customers who are more eco-conscious. 

Curious about our product and want to test it out? For a limited time, we will ship you samples so you can "try before you buy." Click here to get free samples. 

Switching from plastic to other compostable straws is a hassle to begin with. To make it more troublesome, choosing the right material that could satisfy both your customers and save the environment poses a greater challenge. With many different eco-friendly straws being available in the market and paper straws dominating the market that many customers have no great experience with. Do you know which is the best material that could benefit both sides?

Our planet is a beautiful place where we need to protect. On the other hand, ensuring the customer experience is a priority for most businesses. Therefore, choosing the best eco-friendly straws became the most important task when switching over from plastic straws. Paper straw is one of the most popular options for business due to its cheap pricing. It is made from two main ingredients which are paper and wax that are both plants based. However, it softens too quickly, as they soften it is almost impossible to suck liquid through them. The wax and film coating on the straws makes the decomposing hard. Since this type of material soften in a fast paste it causes a negative impression to customer experience. 

To begin our journey in finding the best single used compostable straws besides paper straws, we must begin in understanding what is considered a proper plastic to a sustainable alternative, also known as PLA.

PLA biodegradable straws are made from naturally occurring plant-based materials such as sugarcane, bamboo, agave, or corn starch that can break down in the environment. With that in mind, let’s investigate the different materials that are available in the market and how it compares to paper straws.

• Sugarcane straw

Sugarcane straws are made employing a sugarcane byproduct after the sugar itself is extricated. Once the sugars are extricated from refining and molasses processing the leftover pulp is then formed into a thin plant-based straw. It takes 3- 6 months to degrade naturally.

• Bamboo straw

Bamboo is a long-lasting, fast-growing crop. Its fibers are naturally tubular, making it ideal to produce plant-based straws. It is both strong and flexible, resulting in a long-lasting straw that won’t crack or break easily. However, it is categorized as invasive exotic plants that crowd out native plants and threaten biodiversity.

• Agave straw

Agave straws are made from discarded fibers from the tequila and agave sweetener industries. The fibers are flattened before being shaped into straws. The straws themselves are as strong as bamboo.

• Cornstarch straw

Made from corn starch (polylactic acid). It is produced with far fewer chemicals and toxins than traditional thermoplastics such as polypropylene. The primary disadvantage of it is that its takes 2-5 years to degrade naturally.

With these many different options available in the market, you can choose sugarcane straws for its pleasant experience that can last long when in use and degrade in 6 months. Bamboo, that is long-lasting with no strong flavor to it. Agave, a similar material as bamboo that is durable when used. Or cornstarch, that has fewer chemicals and toxins. By the end of the day, beside the implementation of government regulation. We should always find a way to ensure our business is sustainable in helping the environment but in the meantime creating great customer experience and maintaining positive customer relationships alongside with the changes. Making the right decision might not always be easy but taking the first step in exploring each option is just a click away. 

Curious about our product and want to test it out? For a limited time, we will ship you samples so you can "try before you buy." Click here to get free samples. 

How much waste has been produced in Canada? On average, Canadians generate approximately 31 million tonnes of garbage annually. In other words, each person generates 2.7 kg of garbage each day. Out of all garbage generated, only about 30 percent was recycled. As people look to get through their days in a faster and more convenient way, many non sustainable materials are being used to create products that meet the needs of consumers. The most known material is plastic, which you would be able to see everywhere you go, from supermarkets to bubble tea shops. Products that are being wrapped by plastic packaging or disposable straws are made out of plastic. All of this turns into waste by the end of the day, which harms our environment and causes climate change, endangered wildlife, and affects public health. 

Why should we replace plastic?

Plastic is produced for its durability and decay resistance. Many companies also use it because it is inexpensive. However, plastic is extremely wasteful and causes negative impact to the ecosystem. Since it is designed to be decay resistant, it takes up to 20 to 500 years to decompose depending on the material and structure. As many restaurants starting to do take-outs and specialty beverages become a norm in people's daily life, plastic straws usage has increased dramatically. A study done by WWF, World Wildlife Fund, shows that on average plastic straws take up to 200 years to break down! Even then, they do not fully decompose.

In Canada, we use up to 55 million plastic straws a day, and many of them become waste that is found in our freshwater environment. Therefore, the government of Canada is taking action to bend single-use plastic by the end of 2022 as part of its zero-waste strategy. This means it is time to search for alternatives material to replace plastic straws. 

Other alternatives for plastic straws include

• Paper Straws

As the news came out about the ban on plastic straws, many companies had turned to paper straws because it is the most common environmentally friendly and cheapest alternative. However, they tend to soften quickly and cause unpleasant experiences when you are enjoying your beverage. 

• Sugarcane Straws

These biodegradable and eco-friendly sugarcane straws are made out of sugarcane fiber, a rapidly renewable resource. It is more durable than paper straws, when used it is smooth like plastic and does not contain any coatings or dye as you would find in paper straws.  

• Metal Straws

Even Though they are reusable and durable, they are not biodegradable. In order to produce such products, mining for its material alone leads to air pollution. In addition, it poses a potential risk of chipped teeth if a consumer bites or misuses it.

• Bamboo Straws

Derived from bamboo stalks, it is a good option for an environmentally friendly alternative. However, it can cause splinter with prolonged or rough use, leading to customer dissatisfaction or even injury. 

Investing and protecting our planet is our priority. We should think of ways to reduce the production of waste and the use of unsustainable materials. We are starting by replacing all plastic straws with non plastic but plant-based straws that are manufactured in Canada, followed by choosing the right alternative for your business based on your customers' needs and business goals. We should work together and achieve the goal of zero waste and create a better environment for future generations.

Curious about our product and want to test it out? For a limited time, we will ship you samples so you can "try before you buy." Click here to get free samples.