How to become an eco-responsible restaurant? Simple gestures for the environment

Today, the French are among the most distrustful people in the world when it comes to food: 76% think that responsible consumption is a way of getting involved in sustainable development. In addition, almosta third take social and environmental criteria into account when choosing their products. Does food offer a key means of expressing one's convictions on an individual scale? How can we take sustainable development into account in our consumption habits? Restaurant operators, who are at the heart of these issues, have every interest in understanding these new concerns and integrating them into their day-to-day activities.

Faced with a wave of food and health scandals in recent years, the agri-food sector is at the heart of societal debate. The industrialized food system is increasingly criticized for its inadequacy in meeting environmental challenges. The food industry alone accounts for a third of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of overproduction, the use of pesticides and the conditions under which food is farmed are just some of the factors highlighted to denounce the depletion of our natural resources, climate change and damage to public health.Adopting a sustainable diet means making the choice to eat good for the planet, but also good for oneself, by looking at the origin of the products (local), the conditions of agricultural production or breeding (organic labels, red label, MSC...), the forms of distribution (biodegradable packaging) and the processing or non-processing of the food (presence of additives) that is offered for sale.Concerned about the environmental impact of their consumption, the French place their trust in brands that embody social and ethical values. 64% of them even consider that brands have a role to play in public debate, in order to contribute to social change. At industrial level, companies are beginning to take sustainable development into account in their production, processing and distribution methods. Increasingly, they are building in-house social responsibility(CSR) policies to protect the planet and improve their image in the eyes of consumers.

The food industry is also getting in on the act: organic, fair-trade and local products are now very present in supermarkets. For example 40% increase in organic sales in 2016 and 75 % of Parisians live less than 5 minutes from an organic or local food store. Paris City Hall's sustainable food plan even calls for 25% of Parisian consumption to be produced in the Ile-de-France region by 2020, in particular by encouraging urban agriculture.What about the foodservice sector? Should restaurateurs communicate on their environmental actions?Despite the buzz around sustainable gastronomy at the start of 2019(sustainable gastronomy prize awarded by the Michelin Guide, launch of the ecotablelabel...), the movement is not a recent one. The Italian Slow Food initiative, launched in the late 80s, aims to raise awareness of the environmental and economic impact of food choices. Today, restaurateurs are becoming more aware of the social influence they can have. Indeed, more than more than half feel they have a share of responsibility in sustainable development, and conversely, a majority of French people are prepared to pay more to consume a sustainable product. So how do you integrate respect for the environment, animal welfare and health into your catering business? And how can you promote these daily efforts and values to your customers? Find out in this article.

1. Responsible product selection

a. Natural products, a guarantee of quality in the eyes of consumers

Beyond preserving the environment, health is the most important primary motivation for responsible consumption. The presence of healthy, natural ingredients is one of the quality criteria most prized by consumers. As France is the biggest user of pesticides in Europe, choosing organic and/or sustainable farming products not only helps to reduce environmental contamination, but also reassures customers about the quality of the food used to prepare their meals. With the trend towards healthier eating, organic is also a way of satisfying the majority of diners, since 3 out of 4 French people want organic food in their restaurants.

Highly sought-after by the French, home-cooked food is also an excellent way to enhance the taste and authenticity of recipes. From junk food to healthy, all types of catering are concerned: nutritional balance can be promoted, following the example of Liife, which describes itself as the first healthy restaurant for athletes. Others opt for the fast good, which uses good products to create foodporn(Bio burger).

Transparency about how products are grown or raised is also essential, and must be combined with transparency about the product's origin. The proximity of an organic product's sourcing is vital if we are to feel 100% responsible.

b. Local products, evidence of food traceability

89% of Europeans have a positive view of local produce and identify it as a quality criterion. Traceability of product origin is a reassuring factor for customers. They see it as a way of understanding the composition of what they ingest, and knowing what is good for their health and the environment. Local sourcing means that restaurateurs have to respect product seasonality and adapt their recipes, as well as reducing the size of their menus. The choice of local, micro-filtered water to defuse bad taste is also a responsible alternative much appreciated by customers.

The short circuit is a real benefit for our planet, limiting the carbon footprint generated by imported food and avoiding the intensive fishing of already endangered species. It's also a way of promoting a local economy and influencing the prices of products, which become more affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Beyond product selection and processing, waste reduction actions and policies are essential to an eco-responsible approach.

2. A waste reduction policy

a. Food waste

Knowing thata third of the world's food production is thrown away, avoiding food waste as much as possible is a simple and inexpensive action that benefits both the environment and your guests.Educating your team about food wasteAwareness-raisingand educating the whole restaurant team about the effects of waste and the practices to adopt to reduce waste as much as possible, is a first simple action in favor of a sustainable approach. For example, at Simone Lemon, a small bistro in the 9th arrondissement, all vegetables are cooked, including the ugly ones.

Credit: Simone LemonThissame anti-waste logic can be found atEpi Dupin, chef François Pasteau's bistronomic restaurant, where recipes are "good for the climate" and ingredients are used in their entirety (peels, tops, trimmings, bones).

Credit: L'Épi DupinBeyond thekitchen, food waste can also be avoided in the dining room.Preventing food wasteManyrestaurants serve portions that are too large for the appetites of some of their customers. To prevent unfinished plates from being returned to the kitchen, restaurateurs can offer different sizes of dishes before ordering, to suit all appetites.

Downstream, the reduction of food waste can be achieved by introducing biodegradable "doggy bags" to take away, or by listing unsold products on applications such as Too Good To Go or Optimiam, which resell them at reduced prices instead of throwing them away. Taking food waste into account must also be coupled with a genuine policy of waste reduction, sorting and recovery.

b. A waste reduction policy

The use of returnable, biodegradable or biosourced packagingToday, takeaway sales and home delivery are expanding in the commercial and fast-food markets. Packaging and transporting food is a source of waste. To reduce the ecological impact of these offers, simple solutions exist.

Some restaurants use returnable glass for takeaways(Pur, etc.), while others favor biodegradable or biosourced packaging, which will soon be mandatory as of January 1, 2020.Waste sortingA good waste management policy in the restaurant business is essential when the use of certain polluting materials (plastic, cardboard, paper) is necessary for the restaurant's activity.

Adopting and raising employee awareness of good waste sorting practices are simple actions to implement in favor of recycling.WasterecoveryRestaurant waste can also be reused by third parties. Companiessuch as Oleovia, Allo à l'huile and Ecogras collect cooking oil and recycle it. Shellfish shells and vegetable peelings can also be used for compost and agriculture.

Companies(Moulinot, Love your Waste) and local farmers such as the Zone sensible urban farm recover food scraps from restaurants and canteens in the Ile-de-France region (schools, hospitals, public administrations) for composting or to produce energy.

Once all these environmental actions have been applied to your restaurant, how do you promote the merits of your business?

3. Communicate on eco-responsibility to promote your restaurant's commitment

a- Labels: a guarantee of eco-responsibility for restaurants

Certifications, labels are a guarantee of reliability and transparency for consumers. In fact, 64% of them were in favor of the introduction of a nutritional labeling system for supermarket products. In the catering sector, several labels certify a restaurant's eco-responsible approach.

Such is the case with the Restaurant durable label and Ecocert, which certify restaurants offering organic produce. The latest initiative, écotable, is modelled on the Michelin guide's star system, and awards badges according to the restaurant's degree of commitment (provenance of food products, waste sorting, use of plastic). A badge system is also available for 100% vegetarian, vegan, zero-waste or locavore restaurants. But beyond the labels, there is the question of how to identify eco-responsible restaurants. How can customers find them?

b. Specific referencing, a guarantee of visibility

The websites of some labels can provide a map listing labeled establishments. This is the case for the Framheim label, created in 2017, which certifies restaurants' anti-gaspi actions.

Other non-certified digital platforms exist, such as Placetobio or YesWeGreen, which specifically list organic restaurants. VegOresto, founded by the L214 association, lists all restaurants offering vegetarian or vegan alternatives.

CONCLUSION

72 % is the number of catering professionals motivated by respect for the environment. And with good reason: in the face of ever-increasing consumer demand for restaurant transparency, eco-responsibility in the catering sector is becoming a key factor in an establishment's commercial success. At the very least, highlighting environmental concerns becomes an extremely powerful communication argument, as it is well received by customers. And this cannot be overlooked by restaurateurs, who must find ways to stand out from the ever-increasing competition.

While the implementation of a responsible policy within an establishment represents a financial effort for the manager, it should be noted that today's consumers are inclined to pay the price for quality dishes that respect both the environment and our health.

Gestures in favor of a sustainable approach can be very simple to implement, and are much appreciated by diners. They are therefore an excellent return on investment. The key is to highlight these initiatives in your communications (social media press relations and SEO). External players such as labels can also be quality relays to potential customers.