Confession: I don’t tend to make New Year’s resolutions. They’re generally unrealistic and unsuccessful, and also I like cheese way too much. But it is a great time to take stock of successes and potential areas of improvement from the past year. I spoke to many smart, innovative and caring operators about their sustainability initiatives in 2015. Below are a few of my favorites that I hope you’ll steal in 2016. (Side note: New Year’s Day also happens to be my birthday. A reminder about the cheese if you’re looking for a belated gift.)
Swim against the menu stream
Even operators in landlocked states can take advantage of sustainable seafood at a reasonable price, says Keith Tyger, executive chef for AVI Fresh at Wellesley College. Sourcing underutilized species like redfish, hake, pollock and dogfish—which in the past may have been considered “trash fish”—along with flexible menuing is vital to his success. “Find that one item you want to try, do it once a month, and then grow the program from there,” Tyger says. It’s easier than jumping in with both feet—and long-term success is more likely.
Institute straightforward composting
I didn’t realize how exciting trash could be until I spoke with Chris Koetke, vice president of Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago. While Koetke had some huge concepts to talk about—from methane as a ticking time bomb to comparing organic material’s value to gold—one of the best takeaways also was the most simple: When it comes to composting, do your research. He first used plastic bags, which can’t be composted, to collect organic material, then went-bag free and ended up with gross goo all over his compost bins. “Eventually we figured out there are these nice biodegradable bags,” he says.
Form partnerships with other operators
Becoming part of a purchasing collective is a great way to source higher quality products at a more reasonable rate. But those new relationships don’t have to be limited to your own segment. Dan Henroid, director of nutrition and food services and sustainability officer at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, told me this spring that he was trying to work with school districts in California to aggregate their protein spend. Henroid already had seen success partnering with other San Francisco hospitals to purchase antibiotic- and hormone-free ground beef at a rebated rate.