Restaurants and Foodservice Establishments Can Now Earn Green Seal Certification

Green Seal, the premier ecolabel in the U.S., has released GS-46, Environmental Standard for Restaurants and Foodservices. The standard is a result of extensive research in all areas of a restaurant's environmental impact, with input from over one hundred stakeholders including industry trade groups, operators, suppliers, academia and environmental and health organizations. It is based on life-cycle research, involving the comprehensive evaluation of the sources of environmental impacts including such things as food, energy and water use, and waste. The results of the research that Green Seal conducted and included in the new standard will help operators prioritize where to focus their greening efforts.

"Green Seal has broad consumer and industry recognition," said Dr. Arthur Weissman, President and CEO. "For 20 years our standards and certification have helped green the lodging industry and a range of product industries." As a result, the Green Seal can be found at hotels, on products online and in retail stores; and on products and services used at schools, hospitals, airports, offices and government facilities. Green Seal's standard development process is ANSI-accredited and Green Seal standards are cited widely by governments, purchasers, and other standards including LEED.

The environmental impact of foodservice

Studying the life-cycle of an operation is critical to effectively reducing its impact on the environment and human health. It was found that food is the largest source of environmental impact from a food service operation. This is because food production is a significant source of impacts. For example, food production contributes between 17-32% of all global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions (1). GS-46 focuses on responsible food purchasing and waste reduction to reduce the impact from food.

Certifying your operation

GS-46 applies to all types of food service operations -- including full-service, limited-service (e.g. fast-food, quick-casual), non-commercial, and catering operations. The standard has three levels of achievement: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Operators are encouraged to use the standard as a guide to implementing sustainable practices, and apply for certification online. All documentation required is outlined on the Green Seal Web site. Fee schedules, reference guides, templates, and standards are all available on, and downloadable from, the Web site. Green Seal's certification also includes an on-site audit and continual monitoring, which is critical to verifying compliance against the standard and to provide patrons the assurance that real environmental improvements have been made.

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