When Texas-based Freebirds World Burrito decided in January to print menus on 100-percent recycled paper, the company was building on a pre-determined commitment to operate as an environmentally conscious restaurant.
Freebirds had already been using recycled napkin and paper products in its 16 Texas locations plus one in California, and the company's customers supported the effort through the creation and display of foil art — the shaping of animal and other art forms using recycled Freebirds' burrito foil.
Alan Hixon, Freebirds president and chief operating officer, said the company has always felt a commitment to protect the environment "even before it was cool."
"We're going to make an effort more than most, but my feeling is more and more people would do it if it were easy for them," he said. "We as a company feel we can do better."
According to a 2006 National Restaurant Association survey, 82 percent of casual-dining restaurants recycle fats, oil or grease, and 54 percent recycle paper. In addition, 79 percent of casual dining restaurants purchase products from recycled materials.
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"In the beginning there wasn't much of a green restaurant movement," said Michael Oshman, executive director of Boston-based Green Restaurant Association, originally launched in California
The GRA provides environmental consulting, education and certification services to restaurant operators looking to become eco-friendly in ways that are convenient and cost-effective. Certified restaurants receive a plan for implementing four environmental programs a year in addition to support services from the GRA, including marketing and public relations.
Oshman said the eco-friendly restaurant trend is driven more by personality than segment. "These are leaders in the restaurant industry," he said. "These (restaurants) are the places that have owners and general managers that are critically thinking about how to improve their restaurant business."
In the case of Freebirds, Hixon said, being an environmental steward was an important aspect to founder Pierre Dubé.
"His background was such that it was important to him and our employee base is a demographic to where this is important to a lot of people," Hixon said. "We didn't know this would become a trend. We hoped it would and we're very happy to see it, but it's something that we were going to do no matter what."
Who said starches are bad?
One hurdle to the restaurant-inspired green movement is expense.
Hixon acknowledges it is more costly to purchase recycled or eco-friendly packaging, "but the idea is not to recoup (expenses), but hopefully play a role," he said.
Takeout and other containers made from starch-based biopolymers, such as corn and sugar cane, continue to emerge in the United States
John Burke, president of the Foodservice and Packaging Institute, said companies such as Nature Works, set up shop in the corn-belt to get the supply they needed, but they were not quick to find followers.
