Restaurant & Bar Waste Reduction Program
by Bob Woodall
Restaurants and bars generate thousands of pounds of corrugated cardboard, waste cooking oil, and glass, plastic, aluminum, and sealed containers each day. Throughout Metro Atlanta these items, with the possible exception of the oil, are generally landfilled, even though most patrons feel they should the recycled. Of 200 patrons of Virginia-Highlands' restaurants and bars surveyed, 77% believed businesses should be responsible for recycling.
The few restaurants and bars that recycle bottles and cans, cooking oil, and corrugated cardboard, do so because it is "the right thing to do", but many also save money on waste fees. Unfortunately, the majority of the restaurants and bars surveyed in Little Five Points and Virginia-Highlands were content with their current waste disposal methods and were not interested in recycling, even if they could save money by recycling.
The Atlanta Group and Community Recycling, Inc. (CRI), a local recycling nonprofit, have developed a program that seeks to capture these recyclables by providing waste reduction assessments for restaurants and bars and by engaging members to distribute information on recycling opportunities when they visit restaurants and bars in their neighborhoods.
Program activities include:
1) Volunteers distributed 100 surveys to restaurants and bars in Buckhead, Virginia-Highlands, and Little Five Points to determine who is recycling, what commodities they are recycling, in their interest in having a waste reduction in assessment performed.
2) A database of recycling vendors and Atlanta was developed to include what they pickup and how, and the frequency and cost of service. This information is printed on a brochure for distribution to businesses.
3) During the past 18 months two Georgia State University interns updated recycling vendor information, performed 14 waste assessments in Virginia-Highlands, surveyed 200 customers regarding accountability, and developed marketing materials for members to pass along to the restaurants they dine in.
The Atlanta Group shared the cost of the interns with CRI. The Club received a large donation from the Atlantan Sierran and longtime recycling activist, Sheldon Cohen and from the Georgia Chapter's recycling education grant provided by the Turner Foundation. Many thanks also go to Ed Scholl, Sierran and CRI board member, who coordinated all the activities of the two interns over the past 18 months. Thanks also to Barbara Myers who volunteered her time to keep the project moving forward between interns. Please join the Club in promoting recycling by asking businesses to do the right thing and recycle.
The program has brought community awareness to recycling by businesses and failure of voluntary recycling programs. The State government's voluntary approach to reducing Georgia waste stream is ineffective and must be changed. The goal to reduce waste 25% by 1996 has failed and we are actually landfilling and incinerating 8% more. The 1998 study by Zero Waste America are ranked Georgia 43rd worst in per capita disposal as we waste 2,667 pounds per person per year. There are many programs that other states are using to achieve waste reduction including: container deposits, pay as you throw pricing, mandatory recycling & enforceable waste reduction plans, banning materials from landfills and incinerators that are readily recyclable, and minimum post-consumer content laws.
During our study we discovered a few restaurants and bars that do recycle voluntarily. They are: Taco Mac, Vortex, Moe's & Joe's, The Righteous Room, The Highlands Tap, and Raging Burrito. Enjoy.
To help with this issue contact your local public officials and asked them to promote meaningful waste reduction measures to move Georgia away from its wasting habits. Please contact Bob Woodall at 404-266-0820 for more information.
Last updated: 30 Jan 00