Jumping out in front of the other three big food service companies, Bon Appetit has just announced that beginning on Earth Day (April 22), it will be taking major steps to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gases.
Serving 80 million meals a year in 400 locations, the company's buying and promotion decisions have a large impact, and now, in the midst of a three-year "carbon diet" initiative, Bon Appetit is taking strides that could have reverberations throughout the food industry, including:
- Buying 25 percent less beef
- Buying 10 percent less cheese
- Cutting tropical fruit purchases in half
- Cutting food waste 20 percent by educating staff
Bon Appetit also has a fun carbon-impact calculator for members of the eating public to assess how their choices are affecting the environment.
The measures taken so far by Aramark, Chartwells and Sodexo (formerly Sodexho) are similar to those already undertaken by Bon Appetit, such as attempting to buy "more locally," "organically" and "humanely." Aramark has touted its "Sustainable seafood" program, which does not focus on quantity but on catching procedures. Chartwells, which focuses on academic food service, has some great per-college menus but nothing similar on this company-wide scale. In short, the major food service companies have so far given great lip service to sustainability, but have not reached this level of action to back it up.
Still, with Earth Day approaching it's a great excuse for them to announce serious change along these lines, and it may be that Bon Appetit just got its press release out first.
We can hope so, anyway. "Green" competition among the top food-service providers can only benefit consumers and the planet alike, and with more large institutions publicly recognizing the connection between diet and global warming, pressure will increase to really do something going forward. It will be an interesting period as we see whether anyone else matches, or tops, the measures just announced by Bon Appetit.
The experts at Philadelphia's Energy Coordinating Agency answer your energy questions in our regular feature Stay Warm, Stay Green. Send in your question or questions to energy@phillynews.com.
Look for Jenice Armstrong to supply tips on green living as well as occasional columns on the subject of Green. She also blogs at Hey Jen.
Becky Batcha stays tuned for the here-and-now practical side of conservation, alternative energy, organic foods, etc. - stuff you can do at home now. Plus odds and ends.
Laurie Conrad recycles from her ever-growing e-mailbag to pass along the latest travel deals, fashion statements, household strategies, gadgets, cool local events and other nuggets of interest to those who appreciate a clean, green world.
Vance Lehmkuhl looks at topics like eco-conscious eating, public transportation and fuel-efficient driving from his perspective as a vegetarian, a daily SEPTA bus rider and a hybrid driver, as well as noting the occasional wacky trend or product. Contact Vance with your 'green' news.
Ronnie Polaneczky sees the green movement through the eyes of her 12-year-old daughter, who calls her on every scrap of paper or glass bottle that Ronnie neglects to toss into the house recycling bins. Ronnie will blog about new or unexpected ways to go green. She also blogs at So, What Happened Was...
Sandra Shea and the DN editorial board opine on any green-related legislation or policy. And we'll pass along some of the opeds on the subject that people send us.
Jonathan Takiff will be blogging mainly about consumer electronics - those things that we love to use and that suck too much energy. He'll spotlight green-conscious gizmos made in a responsible fashion, both in terms of materials used and the energy it takes to run them.
Signe Wilkinson draws the comic strip Family Tree, which follows the Tree family as they try to live green in the face of nattering neighbors, plastic-wrapped consumer products, and the primal teenage urge to spend vast quantities of money on hair care products of dubious organic quality.
In addition to these updates from our newsroom bloggers, watch for an occasional feature, Dumpster Diver Dispatches, from Philadelphia's original "green" community of artists, the Dumpster Divers. You'll learn about creative ways to reuse and recycle while you reduce, and about the artists who are making little masterpieces from what others throw out.
Sept. 17: A head start on cold season
Oct. 8: Help with fuel bills
Oct. 29: Last-minute ways to winterize
Nov. 19: Budgeting for the big bite
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