— By Jeff Kiesel — Serving up fresh, automated oil solutions to replace stale, deep-fried thinking. Oil management has historically been a struggle for restaurants and commercial kitchens. While oil plays a crucial role in food preparation, traditional oil handling can result in unsafe and dirty kitchens, frustrated staff, lower food quality and unnecessary waste. Now, new automated cooking oil management tools are allowing restaurants to embrace digital transformation and provide improved control of kitchen chaos. For those who get JIBs (joint interest billing) of oil delivered and grease removal …
waste management/recycling
San Diego — Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, detailing progress on its mission to improve the lives of pets, pet parents and its own employees — including the launch of a new large-scale LDPE plastic recycling program. “Our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of pets, people and the planet we all share is pivotal to our mission as a purpose-driven pet retailer,” says Benjamin Thiele-Long, chief ESG and communications officer. “By making meaningful progress on …
Powerhouse Dynamics Activates New AI-Powered Energy Solution
Boston — Powerhouse Dynamics, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) partner to enterprise-level restaurant, QSR, convenience store and retail brands, has installed its AI-powered DemandSmart Solution in client locations across the country. The solution automatically executes demand response at scale, empowering clients to generate new revenues by lowering their energy use when the grid is experiencing peak demand. “We are excited to bring this expanded capability to our customers. Not only will they save significant energy costs using our DemandSmart module, but they will also be able to take advantage …
The Colony, Texas — Quest Resource Holding Corporation, a national leader in environmental waste and recycling solutions, has announced that its Quest Resource Management Group subsidiary has entered into an agreement with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor of health and specialty food in the United States and Canada. UNFI is North America’s premier grocery wholesaler delivering the widest variety of fresh, branded and owned brand products to more than 30,000 locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, e-commerce …
Jacksonville, Fla. — Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report. The grocer is also donating thousands of reusable bags and supporting local conservation efforts through volunteerism and monetary donations in honor of Earth Month. The annual report details forward-thinking sustainability strategies, including eco-responsible operations, associate and supplier diversity, and continued support of local communities in need. SEG further commits to reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste with donation of 33,500 reusable …
Restaurant Technologies Recycles Record Amount of Used Cooking Oil in 2023
Minneapolis — Restaurant Technologies broke its own sustainability record by recycling and converting more than 314 million pounds of used cooking oil (UCO) into renewable diesel or biodiesel in 2023, breaking the record set in 2022 by 25 million pounds. The company continues to help its 40,000 customers nationwide be more sustainable and reach their Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) goals to create a cleaner, more livable planet. With the support of renewable energy partners such as Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Restaurant Technologies converts 100% of UCO collected into renewable diesel …
Starbucks Announces 6,000 Greener Stores Worldwide
Seattle — Starbucks has certified 6,091 Greener Stores, nearly doubling its portfolio in the past year, and a milestone achievement toward the company’s goal of certifying 10,000 Greener Stores globally by 2025. In markets around the world, Greener Stores’ energy and water savings and waste diversion help advance the company’s goal to reduce carbon emissions, water usage and landfill waste by 50% by 2030. The company has Greener Stores in 44 markets with new markets including India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bahrain, Italy, …
— By Russ Spencer — Strategies for restaurants in an evolving landscape. A new year symbolizes new beginnings, particularly within the restaurant industry’s evolving landscape. While some trends may persist from the previous year, Q1 presents an opportunity to reset, recalibrate and plan strategically. These include, but are not limited to, updating menu items, solving staffing challenges and implementing improved ways to reduce waste. Operators who focus on the trends shaping this year and pounce on them will get ahead of competitors and run a successful restaurant in 2024. Preparing …
Asheville, N.C. — Wicked Weed Brewing and its main production brewery located in Candler, N.C., has been award GOLD certification under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) rating system. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE helps facilities measure, improve and recognize zero waste performance by encouraging the adoption of sustainable waste management and reduction practices. Wicked Weed Brewing is one of only three breweries in the United States to receive zero waste certification. To reach this milestone, Wicked Weed diverted its waste to 99.3%, sending less than …
— By Ray Hatch — 3 ways retailers and restaurants can get ahead of a potential recession and avoid greenwashing. A possible recession, the risk of ESG-related litigation and allegations of greenwashing are troubling to navigate, making transparency and analytics a vital check and balance in today’s market. Whether you’re a retail grocer, restaurant executive or otherwise, investing in a waste audit and data reporting platforms are effective routes to avoiding the chopping block. According to a recent survey from Deloitte, 49% of respondents said data and reporting helped them …