Eating Out and Eco Friendly Restaurants

On Sunday, I went to my hometown of Lancaster, PA to celebrate my dad's birthday. We went to a local restaurant housed in an old farm house that was built around 1790 - talk about reusing a good building! All of Lancaster is pretty darn conservative and it doesn't strike me as the greenest place in the country. In fact, I called it "the land of cows" and as you may or may not know, eating meat is not the greenest practice around, but that is a topic for another blog...

As a vegetarian, it's always a challenge to eat in my home town. Nonetheless, we all enjoyed a lovely meal and at the end, I was shocked and excited when my family members who opted to take home their leftovers were presented with what seemed to be an eco friendly container as opposed to the usual evil Styrofoam or plastic options many of us tend to see. I emailed the restaurant to commend them for their eco friendly choice and to encourage them to continue the practice.

I found out that the product is made of cellulose and biodegrades in 120 days. For more information, go to www.webstaurantstore.com. The produce line is Green Wave.

I hope the restaurant will continue to use this product and encourage other restaurateurs in the area to do the same. I'll be sure to spread the word myself.

So what can you do? If you encounter a Styrofoam or plastic container when you take your "doggie bag" home, email that restaurant and tell them to switch to an eco friendly alternative such as the one above. If we don't voice our dissatisfaction, the status quo with remain.

Green Tip:
To find an eco-friendly restaurant near you, visit the website of the Green Restaurant Association.

The GRA is a national non-profit organization which, among other things, enables you to search for green restaurants in your area. It also lists the number of environmental guidelines the restaurant engages in. Included on the list are restaurants and cafes, resorts and retreat centers, coffee and tea houses, bakeries, pubs, schools and universities and museums.