Food & Beverage

Just Salad launching Climatarian menu

September 14, 2020

Just Salad is marking Climate Week 2020 (Sept. 21-27) Thursday by launching a climatarian menu, featuring seven items with low greenhouse gas emissions, according to a company press release. To kick off its "Eat for the Earth" campaign, the New York City-based chain is offering the cimatarian menu items at a price reflecting its individual carbon footprints. For example, a salad with a carbon footprint of 0.41 kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) will cost $4.10 on Thursday.

In conjunction, Just Salad will unveil its carbon footprint label displaying the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each menu item. The online ordering platform — orderjustsalad.com — will also calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of any build-your-own salad, giving consumers a real-time look at the environmental impact of their selections. For each item, carbon footprint information will show under Nutrition Facts. In addition, the item's carbon footprint will be compared to that of a quarter-pound beef patty to help guests put the numbers in context.

"Climate-smart eating should be easy, and our climatarian menu takes the guesswork out of making sustainable food choices," Sandra Noonan, chief sustainability officer, said in the release. "Just Salad's carbon footprint label is part of a growing movement toward carbon transparency in the food, beverage and consumer goods sectors."

Just Salad's Climatarian Menu consists of two categories:

1. Carbon Counter: For those who want to keep emissions to the bare minimum.
   -Feisty Fiesta Bowl = 0.41 kg CO2e.
   -Tokyo Supergreens Salad, Tofu = 0.41 kg CO2e.
   -Beyond Tex Mex Salad = 0.52 kg CO2e.
   -Banh Mi Bowl = 0.56 kg CO2e.
2. Conscientious Carnivore: For meat-eaters concerned about climate change.
   -Thai Chicken Crunch Salad = 0.64 kg CO2e.
   -Tokyo Supergreens Salad, Chicken = 0.70 kg CO2e.
   -Mediterranean Bowl = 0.77 kg CO2e.

"Awareness and choice are two ideas that are central to how Climate Week NYC pushes for climate action," said Adam Lake, head of Climate Week. "Just Salad's Climatarian menu and carbon labeling initiatives are exciting and innovative examples of how businesses can work with their customers to support informed decisions. As a community partner and supporter of our 'Climate Action is Our Business' campaign, they are affirming that individual choices are crucial in driving climate action and showcasing how the week is a platform for positive change."

Developed in partnership with a team of NYU Stern School of Business MBA students through a Stern Solutions Project, Just Salad's carbon labels reflect total estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and transportation of the ingredients in each menu item, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about food consumption as it relates to planetary health, according to the release.

"You don't have to view good climate stewardship as an all-or-nothing lifestyle," Nick Kenner, founder and CEO of Just Salad, said in the release. "We hold a lot of power in what we choose to eat. Our goal at Just Salad is to make Eating for the Earth simple, accessible and delicious."

The Climatarian Menu is available exclusively on the Just Salad app and online at orderjustsalad.com. Just Salad's carbon labels can be found on orderjustsalad.com, justsalad.com/menu and the Just Salad app, and will eventually be on nationwide menu boards.

Founded in 2006, Just Salad has more than 40 locations in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Dubai.