April 01, 2021

 

 

Sustainability is a hot topic among restaurant owners and chefs, who are becoming increasingly aware of how modern trends are shaping the food service industry for the future.

 

Obviously, eco-friendly practices, like using paper to-go boxes, are good for helping the environment, but did you know they can also help your business in more ways than one?

 

Either way, one thing is certain, businesses will need to pay more attention to their green initiatives in the future.

 

If you’re still not sure, here’s why you should reconsider your sustainability efforts now to ensure you’re on track with where the market is headed.  

 

For More On Sustainable To-Go Options, Check Out Our Blog Post: Meal Delivery Made Easy With Sustainable Bento Boxes 

 

Your Customers Care About Eco-Conscious Business

Consumers are becoming more conscious of environmental issues, and many of them prefer to support businesses that implement eco-friendly practices, even if it means they have to pay a little bit more for what they want.

 

Pleasing your customers is the name of the game, so you don’t want to turn them away by using single-use plastic containers and cutlery for delivering food.

 

Especially when there are eco-friendly options that are just as functional and affordable, like paperboard to-go boxes and wooden cutlery.

 

Making the switch to these sustainable solutions might help you keep your customers satisfied as the world continues to move towards more eco-friendly business practices.

 

Governments May Soon Get Involved

Many cities around the country are beginning to require restaurants to divert waste from landfills or face a fine.

 

Even if your city is not on this ever-growing list, you still might want to prepare for the inevitable, as most analysts agree composting and recycling will eventually be a requirement across the board.

 

You might as well get a head start on converting your products over to more sustainable solutions, so you won’t be hit hard as more regulations are introduced in the future. A simple switch from plastic containers to paper to-go boxes could help push your business in the right direction without increasing your budget or changing too many of your current day-to-day processes.  

 

 

The Restaurant Waste Problem Isn’t Getting Any Better

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants and food delivery services have increased their use of single-use plastics to help keep customers safe.

 

However, this has halted the small amount of progress being made to encourage more sustainable alternatives. 

 

According to the World Wildlife Fund, rapid consumption practices are causing the mishandling of plastic waste as facilities try to keep up. They estimate that one-third of plastic waste has become land or water pollution as a result. We can only imagine how the pandemic has affected these numbers with meal delivery services becoming increasingly more popular. 

 

Swapping your single-use plastic items for compostable and biodegradable alternatives can help reverse the effects of plastic pollution.

 

Paperboard to-go boxes and wooden cutlery make fine alternatives to single-use plastic containers and silverware without drastically increasing your margins or risking the safety of your customers.

 

Eco-friendly Products are Finally Up to Par

While you may have been dissatisfied with your sustainable options in the past, there are now plenty of reliable alternatives to plastic disposables.

 

You can find biodegradable or compostable options made from renewable resources, including bamboo, sugarcane, and other plant-based plastics.

 

Our VerTerra Fallen Leaves Dinnerware collection, in particular, is made from fallen palm leaves without cutting down any trees.

 

These biodegradable options are just as durable as their plastic counterparts, making them an excellent solution for your business’s green initiatives. With so many eco-friendly options out there, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

 

Going Green Can Help You Attract Better Employees

The restaurant industry has been tarnished with a high employee turnover rate for as long as we can remember, but perhaps, eco-friendly business practices could help mitigate this issue. Millennials, who will make up the majority of the workforce within the next few years, have said they prefer working for environmentally friendly businesses, and would even go so far as to accept a pay cut in order to do so.

 

This means attracting top talent requires more than just good benefits, but also the adoption of good business practices and values. This mindset shift among workers can be seen in candidates applying for all sorts of jobs, from fast-casual to fine dining establishments.

 

Therefore, ensuring your business has eco-friendly practices in place might help you find and retain top talent. So, be sure to consider your options when it comes to replacing single-use plastics with more sustainable solutions, such as paper to-go boxes and biodegradable cutlery.

  

If you’ve realized it’s time to start taking sustainability seriously, then look no further than VerTerra for all your meal delivery needs.

 

Browse tons of affordable, biodegradable, and compostable products on our website now, or contact us at sales@VerTerra.com to speak with one of our sales representatives. 

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