GDA Audit Specialist, Jaime Kelley, performing an audit at Local Harvest Cafe in Tower Grove South.
The Green Dining Alliance is a natural extension of St. Louis Earth Day’s award winning, event-greening program, Recycling On the Go (ROG). Like the ROG program, the Green Dining Alliance provides an opportunity for taking environmental action. Restaurants and diners are guided through a tangible process toward increased sustainability.
After piloting the Green Dining Alliance with seven flagship members, the GDA was officially launched in 2012, but experienced a slow start. With funding for only a part-time staff person dedicated to the program, it was difficult to develop our certification process and perform audits.
That all changed in July. Thanks to your community support and funding from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District, GDA celebrated the addition of a full time program coordinator, Olivia Engel to the team. With Jaime Kelley, GDA Audit Specialist, the two have shifted GDA into high gear! During this month’s “Friends of St. Louis Earth Day” fundraising campaign, your tax-deductible gift will help us expand upon the overwhelming impacts that we’ve already had. Donate Now.
Achievements in 2013 have included:
- Complete redesign of our website with special features for promoting certified member listing to diners and a significantly expanded resource listing for restaurants
- Member-exclusive incentives, “GDA Perks”
- Execution of two educational workshops for members, open to the public
- 08.29.13 Waste Management for Restaurants
- 11.19.13 Finding Affordable To-Go Ware, Sustainably
- Establishment of monthly GDA Dine Outs at member establishments
- Expanded outreach with a presence at the following number of outreach events:
- January to July 2013: 8
- July to December 2013: 13
- Decrease of certification time to 4 weeks (from initial commitment to receiving audit report)
- Development of survey for prospective Green Dining District area, the Central West End Community Improvement District
- Launch of case study with Ameren and member restaurant, The Wolf
- 21 fully Certified Members, 8 Pending Members, 5 establishments In Process to become certified
Co-owner Lauren showing off Lulu’s certified compostable service ware from the belly of the food truck.
In addition to the number of restaurants joining the GDA, each have experienced their own triumphs. Some of the restaurants made major changes to improve their sustainability and qualify for the program. Of the restaurants currently certified, two started single stream recycling, two implemented pre-consumer composting, and every single one banned “Styro-foam”/#6 non-recyclable plastics!
The Green Dining Alliance helps diners identify those businesses that are taking real steps to reduce their environmental impact, and helps restaurants gain recognition for their efforts.
Our vision is for a Styrofoam-free St. Louis, with the majority of restaurants recycling and composting, an abundance of local sourcing, kitchens stocked with non-toxic chemicals, and small businesses saving big with efficiencies.
This vision is made possible by you. Thank you.
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