About the Green Dining District
In 2019, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s (NDEP) Recycling Program awarded greenUP! with a $20,000 grant to pilot the launch of a Green Dining District in Carson City. The original goal of the program was to engage with 30 restaurants along Carson Street in order to provide environmental education and lend support to sustainable business practices, such as reducing the use of single use plastics, composting food waste, and choosing of energy saving appliances at their establishments.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply goes to waste. Of that, the restaurant industry alone generates about 11.4 million tons of food waste annually, at a cost of about $25 billion per year. According to the Green Restaurant Association, the average restaurant produces 100,000 pounds of garbage per year– but it is estimated that 90% of that waste could be diverted from the landfill through stronger recycling and composting programs. Due to the green house gas emissions associated with the decay of organic material in landfills, we see reducing food waste as an important way to fight climate change. Not only that, but reducing food waste and garbage can help small businesses save money– after all, food in the trash is money in the trash!
We follow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Hierarchy to make waste reduction recommendations specifically tailored for each of our restaurant’s goals. Green Dining District member restaurants are encouraged to eliminate unnecessary sources of waste, reduce portion sizes, and divert any extra food scraps through donation or compost in order to help reduce the amount of organic material that hits the landfill.
Carson Street Green Dining District member restaurants include:
Pay them a visit today!
Don’t see your favorite restaurant on the list? Share the word! We are always accepting new Green Dining District members. Restaurants interested in joining may contact info@greenupnow.biz