The National Restaurant Association Finds That Sustainability is a 2012 Hot Trend

The National Restaurant Association surveys restaurant owners, chefs, and patrons yearly to determine the top trends showing up in the restaurant industry nationwide.  As a nationally representative sample, these surveys help restaurant owners determine the direction of their establishment in a sluggish economy, and how to best meet their consumers’ demands while cutting costs.  

It was no surprise that according to survey results, 65 percent of restaurant operators believe in the importance of recycling and have recycling programs in place in their restaurant’s day-to-day operations. The survey also found that 60 percent of consumers prefer to support restaurants that recycle, and 51 percent of consumers said that they are willing to pay more for food at restaurants that recycle in order to show support for the practice.

On their current trends report, the National Restaurant Association also showed that an increasing number of restaurants are implementing sustainable practices as a top priority. Since practices of sustainability and recycling promote a healthy environment, lower costs, and the interest of environmentally aware customers, the potential environmental and economic benefit of these trends just make sense.  

The EPA has released a downloadable guide for food service providers wishing to make their business more sustainable and environmentally conscious.  The guide can be found here: (http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/organics/pubs/food-guide.pdf).  The National Restaurant Association also has several studies and trends related to recycling and sustainability available for download on its website (http://www.restaurant.org/).  According to its findings, restaurants that have begun to put into place new processes that are more environmentally friendly and that reduce food wastes have found that consumers are attracted to the idea, as consumers are likewise becoming more educated, in general, about sustainable practices and the need for it on a wide-spread level.  The message is clear: Environmentally aware business practices are not only smart – they will save you money AND attract more customers.