Your donation helps the Green Dining Alliance achieve its goals, such as:

Diverting 1,000+ tons of waste from landfills per year:

In addition to banning Styrofoam and promoting environmentally responsible materials, the GDA tracks and sets waste diversion goals for its restaurants.

Reducing energy consumption of participating restaurants:

The GDA requires a commitment to phasing in energy efficient lighting to help reduce our region’s emissions.  To achieve our energy reduction goals, we:

• Offer resources to familiarize restaurant owners with energy-saving technologies and incentives
• Create tailored energy and water saving strategies and ‘quick fixes’ for restaurant owners
• Connect local lighting and equipment suppliers to restaurants

Increase sustainability education opportunities for restaurants and diners:

• Expand to include a larger institutions (schools, hospitals, etc.)
• Increase sustainability education opportunities for restaurants and diners

Your donation will increase the reach and impact of earthday365’s growing program.

Green Dining Alliance Certification Assistance Fund (GDA Relief Fund)

You can also donate specifically to this fund to help restaurants pay their membership fee.

Even though the certification fees charged to restaurants are highly subsidized thanks to sponsors and a grant from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, some small restaurants still cannot afford those fees or the costs associated with operational changes required by the program. Member restaurants are required to pay $250 for their first audit and $200 for subsequent annual audits, and they often incur expenses associated with replacing styrofoam with alternatives, paying for compost and recycling hauling, and paying expenses associated with water and electrical upgrades.

In an effort to reach small,  family-owned restaurants, we’ve set up an assistance fund to help establishments committed to sustainability to obtain GDA certification. The real cost of certification ranges from $700-$2000 depending on the amount of time and assistance each restaurant requires.