Let’s face it; it is up to each and every one of us to help keep our planet healthy. 

You can make a difference each day by making a few changes and conscious choices.

Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce

We all know these words, but do you really live them?

• Recycle your paper and cardboard. A sheet of paper can be reused up to 7 times! And be sure you print only when needed… and consider double-sided printing for even more savings!
• Use a reusable beverage container and recycle any beverage bottles and cans.
• Reusable shopping bags are now the norm. Reusable ‘plastic’ bags, made from recycled materials or paper bags are available in stores, and these can be reused multiple times and then recycled or easily composted.
• Reduce your energy use just by turning off lights! While current low-energy lighting like LED does save about 25% more energy than old-fashioned incandescent lights, if they are left on when not needed energy is just being wasted.
• Use the right technology tool for the job. Consider a tablet for web browsing, reading, or streaming to keep your energy use even lower than that of a laptop.  And while modern laptops are designed to stop charging at 100%, the charger and power adapter will still draw small amounts of electricity when plugged in, even when the laptop is turned off. 
• Recycle your old technology tools to help keep this waste out of landfill – and consider purchasing refurbished ones if it makes sense!   
• Reduce emissions by keeping your car tuned up, or better yet, look at a hybrid or fully electric vehicle. Walk, bike, or carpool whenever you can! For each car taken off the road for 1 year, 13,000 lbs of CO2 are NOT put into the atmosphere!
• Reduce personal waste by using reusable or compostable plates, utensils, and linen washable or compostable napkins.

Compost or ‘yard waste’ your food scraps!

Leftover food scraps, paper towels, and even greasy cardboard pizza boxes can be put into your yard waste bins and added to the yard pickup. Consider a compost bin or create a compost pile to create a nutrient-rich additive for fertilizing your soil.

Buy Local

On average, your food has traveled 1200 miles just to get to your plate. Shopping at farmers’ markets, Co-Ops, and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) allows you to buy directly from the people who grow the food and saves the impact that travel has on the enviroment.

 Decrease Meat Consumption

• Beef production increases the release of methane gas, a natural by-product of cow manure and the cow itself.  While this is ‘natural’, methane is the #2 contributor to greenhouse gas production, which is contributing to global warming.
• It takes about 15 kg (about 33 lbs.) of grain to produce 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) of edible beef.  Cattle also require thousands of gallons of water.   Less meat consumption means less meat production and therefore, less overall impact on the environment. 
• Pork, lamb, and poultry production also contribute to the carbon footprint. While less than beef, for every edible pound of pork or lamb, over 700 gallons of water is used.  Poultry is slightly less, as each pound of edible poultry uses about 500 gallons of water.  In comparison, the water footprint of soybeans is about 200 gallons, and for corn it is 110 gallons.

Not ready to give up meat? Consider a Flexitarian lifestyle where you choose to go meatless for 1-2 days each week. Every bit can help!  For more information on this, go to www.meatlessmonday.com.

Read more about easy ways to incorporate changes at any of the many reputable online environmental websites, your local waste/recycling center, or your local city or county website.  

https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/

https://www.sierraclub.org/

https://www.localharvest.org/

Epicurean Group strives to do our part in decreasing our overall environmental impact. We have been leaders in the food service industry for only using compostable utensils and plates, featuring flexitarian/vegetarian/vegan options and proudly participating in local recycling and composting programs. We purchase organic products, according to the EWGs Dirty Dozen, to support safe farming and the decreased use of pesticides.