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Restaurants in the Ocean State forge
ahead to become greener.
 Earlier this month, Rhode Island got a
little greener. Representatives from more than 20 restaurants across
the state attended the first training workshop to obtain Green
Restaurant Certification, held at the Sheraton Providence Airport
Hotel in Warwick. After welcoming the group taking steps to go green,
Dale J. Venturini, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality
and Tourism Association, stressed that Rhode Island is one of only
two states thus far implementing a voluntary program of this
magnitude. (Colorado is the other state doing the same.)
The session outlined what’s necessary
to attain Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI
DEM)-approved Green Certification, as well as offered an overview of
the program goals and reviewed the certification workbook. To help
assist restaurants in completing the certification workbooks,
representatives from various organizations and companies throughout
the state provided tips and advice. A presentation covering water
conservation measures for restaurants from David Aucoin,
environmental compliance technical assistant for The Narragansett Bay
Commission, the company that takes 40% of the state’s waste water
and treats it at its facilities, offered many tips on how restaurants
can reduce their water intake, and essentially, their output as well.
The first step is to check all plumbing for leaks. “Leaks can
really add up,” he stated. “If your water meter is running when
your appliances aren’t running, then you know there’s a problem.”
Aucoin also suggested promoting water conservation, not just in the
kitchen but also adding signs to restrooms and dining tables.
The benefits of buying local produce
were highlighted by Sheri Griffin from Farm Fresh Rhode Island. The
organization runs seven farmers’ markets throughout the state and
they continually talk to chefs about sourcing locally. “It really
helps the farmers and the restaurant’s customers love it,” she
noted. While it can be hard to know exactly what each farm has to
offer, and there are 400 in the state, restaurants can search their
Web site for farms that sell to restaurants and the ones that
deliver. She explained that many farmers would gladly drop off orders
at a restaurant on their way to a farmers’ market. And these
markets don’t close up when the weather gets cold. A wintertime
market runs December through May and features fresh greens, root
vegetable, apples and cider, eggs, meat, shellfish, meat, honey,
bread, cheeses, pasta and fair trade coffees. “Rhode Island
agriculture goes deeper than just tomatoes,” she added.
While buying local produce saves money
in transportation and helps the environment, Tom Coughlin, program
manager for National Grid, also pointed out that purchasing local
organic foods avoids using chemicals that are very energy intensive
to create. He also recommended an audit from National Grid to
identify energy savings in restaurants. And what restaurateurs may
not be aware of -- rebates, some fairly significant, on Energy-Star
labeled appliances and thermostats, as well as solar thermal
incentives (up to $3 per therm) and retrofit programs (paying up to
40% of the installed cost). While an energy audit can most likely
find cost savings, so too can a waste audit. “A waste audit can
come up with viable solutions to divert stuff coming into the
landfill,” explained David Bordieri, waste prevention coordinator
for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. “We’ll look
at what you’re doing and what you’re not doing. We can’t
guarantee saving you money, but we will reduce what’s going into
the landfill.” Reducing your waste may save you money if a waste
hauler comes less frequently. And something you may not know…haulers
make money on your recycling. Believe it or not, it’s a hot
commodity and they’re most likely selling your cardboard, aluminum
and office paper and shipping it overseas. Bordieri’s advice: “Get
to know your waste and get to know your hauler.”
Alyson E. Silva, engineer from the
state’s department of environmental management’s office of waste
management, also stressed the benefits of recycling by stating that
of the 700,000 tons of commercial waste in landfills today, 70% of it
could have been recycled. “All of this effort [water and energy
savings] usually isn’t seen by your customers, but when they see a
recycling bin, they know how you feel about the environment,” she
explained. Silva offered attendees some suggestions like serving
carbonated beverages with a beverage gun, using refillable condiment
dispensers, using paper packaging rather than Styrofoam and buying
cleaners in concentrate so it can be portioned out and you aren’t
paying for the supplier to add water to it.
The first Green
Hospitality Certification awards will be handed out at the April 22
event at the Rhode Island Convention Center, which will feature a
green vendor showcase and an organic lunch. So for restaurants in the
Ocean State, you may want to jump on the green train and save
yourself some money while helping the environment and your state. As
Bordieri put it, “Going green isn’t just about recycling bottles,
cans and cardboard, it has become so much more than that.”
For more information, please contact:
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Going Green 
