CSR: I'm dreaming of a sustainable Christmas

Sustainability in the hospitality industry is a CSR issue which has proved difficult to tackle. The combination of the supply chain, environment and waste issues made the industry even more complex.

The SRA was launched in March this year (2010) to help plug an information gap for restaurants wishing to improve their CSR credentials, but without the support to do so. It focuses on three broad themes: Sourcing, Environment and Society.

In a report on its progress, the SRA noted with pride that it has gone from 52 restaurants signed up at its launch, to 500 at the beginning of November 2010. Since launch, there have been 400 pledges to take action in three of 14 key sustainability areas. These include; water saving, energy efficiency, treating people fairly, health eating, ethical meat and dairy and environmentally positive farming.

It said that one of the most gratifying things was the realisation that 'almost none of the members have gone for the "easier" options but instead have used membership as an opportunity to tackle some real issues, head on'. So CSR is alive and well among SRA members.

For example, the restaurant chain Leon, which has nine restaurants across London, has switched to bacon produced by pigs reared to RSPCA Freedom Food Welfare standards. Leon was an early member of the SRA.

Modern Pantry, another London restaurant, has saved 35-40% of its costs for rubbish collection. It now compacts card and paper waste, sends back packaging to suppliers, and bottles its own water to reduce glass waste. In addition, it now separates its food waste. Paying more attention to how the restaurant deals with waste has given it bargaining power to negotiate a cheaper waste management contract.

The Seahorse seafood restaurant in Devon signed up for the Training for Life Apprenticeship scheme as part of its commitment to 'society'. Owner Mitch Tonks said he felt the scheme made perfect sense as it helps both the restaurant and the community. He added: 'I think people are far more likely to stay in the hospitality industry if they get a chance to try out working for real in restaurants'.

The SRA also runs an accreditation scheme that assesses restaurants across the three categories of sourcing, environment and society. They can be awarded one, two or three stars and the independent audit is carried out by GoodCorporation. Those that are accredited, undoubtedly boost their CSR credentials.

The first restaurant to gain accreditation, last month, was The Green House, a vegetarian restaurant in Hertfordshire, which gained an impressive 81%. Its report noted: 'The Green House's dedication to organic and seasonal produce, focus on reducing energy and treating its staff well has added to the high scoring. It doesn't stop there; as much food waste as possible is composted and used on the restaurants allotment and almost all other wastes are recycled'.

Diners can support these restaurants in their CSR efforts by choosing to eat there. It's a simple but effective seal of approval.