Today, the first-of-its-kind ice cream freezer, which does not rely on potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as a refrigerant, was unveiled at a Georgetown scoop shop in Washington, D.C. The occasion was marked by a celebration at the shop attended by Greenpeace Executive Director John Passacantando and Ben & Jerry's founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. (Full Article) Posted: 9-30-08
Waste Management Recycle America (WM Recycle America) today announced its commitment to adopt the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship for the dismantling and recycling of electronics waste (e-waste). (Full Article) Posted: 9-30-08
Born in the USA? Made in Mexico? Picked in Peru? Cultivated in Canada? Supermarket shoppers, now you know. Starting today, new federal rules take effect requiring all U.S. supermarkets and large food retailers provide labels telling consumers which country a wide variety of food came from. (Full Article) Posted: 9-30-08
The National Restaurant Association today announced that it will host three free webinars on the benefits to business of environmental efforts through its Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative. Launched in May 2008, the initiative is anchored by the Conserve.Restaurant.org Web site, which offers tips, resources and best practices on how restaurants can become more sustainable without hurting their bottom lines. The webinars will focus on how environmental practices can save money and grow business, how to select the right energy-efficient lighting, and how "going green" can be a successful business concept. (Full Article) Posted: 9-24-08
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy must do a better job of updating and upholding Energy Star standards and testing protocols, and manufacturers' self-reported test results should
include third-party verification. That's the conclusion of Consumer Reports, which in its October issue found fault with the 15-year old program recognizing products from 50 categories that are 10 percent to 25 percent
more energy efficient. In response, the EPA expressed "disappointment" with the article, saying it "misleads consumers."
SFS Editor's Note: The Consumer Reports article does not mention commercial kitchen equipment, and it is my belief that foodservice operators can be confident in the equipment because those standards come from the Food
Service Technology Center, a very reputable third-party organization. (Full Article) Posted: 9-17-08
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named Giant Eagle Inc. and Harris Teeter Inc. as the first winners of its GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership Environmental Achievement Award. The award recognizes the two food retailers for emitting the lowest rates of ozone-depleting refrigerant in GreenChill's first year. (Full Article) Posted: 9-15-08
San Francisco officials hope to soon turn the grimiest of restaurant grease into biofuel, through a new state-funded pilot program announced recently. San Francisco already collects so-called "yellow grease" -- discarded frying oil -- from city restaurants through its voluntary SFGreasecycle program launched last year, according to Public Utilities Commission spokesman Tony Winnicker. (Full Article) Posted: 9-8-08
Those of us who looked at energy saving devices 5-10 years ago or even further back then that were basically ignored. The only relevant factor was cost. Owners, contractors and architects usually smiled, sometimes frowned, and then asked for the cheaper standard product. Now it is 2008 and we operate in a different world. Suddenly, being green is in. Now, if you are not suggesting energy saving equipment and systems, you are being left behind. (Full Article) Posted: 9-8-08
NGOs are known for getting on the case of big corporations, but it's not everyday that they get their way. At the Sydney Olympics, Greenpace came down hard on Coca Cola for its vending machines, which keep its drinks cool from Mumbai to Missouri. Greenpeace saw giant refrigerators that relied on HFCs -- greenhouse gases which can be 11,700 times more harmful than carbon dioxide (CO2) -- and used excessive, often unnecessary amounts of energy. Coke saw a great opportunity to cut its biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Before long, the company and the NGO sat down together to develop a solution. (Full Article) Posted: 9-8-08
It's an easy thing to take for granted, air. But the air inside a restaurant and particularly inside the kitchen, how it moves, how much it costs to move it, how much it costs to heat it or cool it, is of extreme importance to restaurant operators -- and a potential pot of savings waiting to be tapped. (Full Article) Posted: 9-2-08
The Associated Press is reporting that the California Assembly has reversed itself and approved a bill to limit the amount of the chemical Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) that has been linked to cancer in food packaging. The measure--by Senator Ellen Corbett-Democrat-San Leandro--would permit no more than 10 parts per billion (ppb) of PFOA in food packing such as fast-food wrappers, pizza boxes, and beverage containers. (Full Article) Posted: 9-2-08
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