New NRA report offers sustainability tips and tools

The National Restaurant Association has launched a new report focused on sustainability best practices for the foodservice industry.

Created by the NRA’s Conserve sustainability program team, the report, “Bright Ideas: Sustainability Tips from Industry Experts,” features tips, trends and real-world advice from industry experts who appeared at this year’s National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago.

“For restaurateurs, implementing sustainable best practices into their operations is more popular than ever before,” said Scott DeFife, the NRA’s executive vice president of policy and government affairs. “We want to make that implementation as successful and cost effective as possible, which is why we have published this report; it is one more way of making sustainability and sustainable practices accessible to everyone in our industry.”

The information in the report was compiled from this year’s seven environmentally-focused education programs at the Show and features input from the Clinton Global Initiative as well as restaurant brands Starbucks and Chipotle and renowned celebrity chef Rick Bayless.

“Operators who are planning to incorporate sustainable practices into their businesses will find true value in the information contained in this report,” said Laura Abshire, the NRA’s director of sustainability policy. “The advice and tips offered by some of our industry’s top sustainability experts will give restaurateurs increased access to information that will help them improve their profitability and protect the communities in which they serve.”

The report is available for free download here.

“We hope that everyone, especially those operators who were unable to attend this year’s show, will take the excellent insights contained in this report and apply them to their own business strategies,” said Jeff Clark, Conserve’s program director. “You will save money, improve the environment and respond to your employees’ and customers’ interest.”