“Sustainability is integrated throughout all of our restaurants and cafés.”

– Mary Clark Bartlett, CEO & Founder

We have a plastic problem in the United States that’s getting worse each year. Made from fossil fuel and a lot of it, the New York Times reports the industry is expected to consume 20 percent of all oil produced worldwide by 2050. Since less than 10 percent gets recycled (especially single-use plastic), it ends up littering our streets, waterways, landfills, as well as you and me! Current research has even discovered tiny particles (microplastics) not only in remote and unexpected areas of the planet (such as Antarctic ice), but also in human bodies.

In response, the state of California recently signed a law aimed at reducing the amount of plastic created in the state. It requires all single-use packaging, including paper and metals, to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. First of its kind, the legislation shifts recycling infrastructure costs (collection and sorting) to packaging manufacturers rather than taxpayers, the largest embrace of what is known as “extended producer responsibilities.” Plastic manufacturers will invest $5 billion over the next 10 years to mitigate plastic pollution (possibly 23 million tons in 10 years), reducing greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste in the process.

Food service contributes greatly to our plastic predicament. Think about all the forks, spoons, clamshells and cups thrown away after eating on the go. Concerned about the issue for years, managing plastics has become a basic tenant of Epicurean Group’s service. We use biodegradable to-go containers and service ware (made of compostable ingredients like wheat and rice instead of plastic) and have been moving clients toward zero waste by incorporating reusable china, glasses and silverware in many of our cafés and restaurants. For straws, we aim for paper when available, and encourage locations to go “straw-free.” Our kitchens recycle as much as we can, even in units that don’t offer municipal pickup. Training staff to use a three-trash can system means a quick response when recycling becomes available. Managing covid has put a damper on some efforts, but we continue to strive for success.

Efforts began in 2010 when CEO and sustainable food service thought-leader Mary Clark Bartlett used the companies buying power to launch GreenTown Co-op – an innovative collaborative that supplied 100% compostable take-out containers to Bay Area restaurants at a 25% discount. It was an early effort to shift the industry away from extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) and an important one, especially for smaller businesses that could never afford to make the switch on their own.

“Sustainability is integrated throughout all of our restaurants and cafés,” says Clark. “Our purchasing practices focus on products that eliminate greenhouse gases, as well as encourage growth of organic farms, ranches, sustainable fisheries and artisan producers.”

For sites that want more, Epicurean Group sponsors a bi-annual program called Kick the Can; 22-weeks of customer education on reducing plastic and other unnecessary waste. Consider these options for personal action:

1. Shop with reusable cloth bag. (Each cloth bag can eliminate 400+ plastic bags from the landfill).
2. Buy products in bulk, with the least amount of packaging.
3. Reuse or recycle all plastic waste and don’t forget about food waste. Minimize and reuse kitchen scraps (try making your own soup stocks) and encourage your service provider to reduce plastic and food waste in their kitchens.
4. Ask your food service provider for a refillable water bottle station rather than single-use plastic water bottles (Reusable bottles eliminates hundreds of single-use plastic bottles).