Sustainability & Environment

Restaurant composting adoption is growing — but the headline numbers obscure where adoption is concentrated, what’s driving it, and which segments still lag. These eight statistics cut through the noise with the specific data points buyers and operators should know to plan their own programs.

Both French press and pour over make great coffee, and both can fit a compost-friendly kitchen — but in very different ways. Pour over uses a paper filter (compostable along with the grounds). French press uses no filter (grounds compost directly). Here’s a practical comparison for the zero-waste home.

A slow compost pile is almost always a diagnosable problem with a fixable root cause. This guide walks through the seven most common reasons piles stall — moisture, temperature, balance, oxygen, particle size, age, and sometimes pile size — with specific fixes for each.

Those clear plastic clamshells from supermarket berries are nearly perfect mini-greenhouses for seed starting. With five minutes of preparation you can turn each one into a self-contained, light-admitting starter that gives seedlings a head start while keeping plastic out of the recycling stream a little longer.

Compost starters and activators promise faster decomposition, but most piles don’t actually need them. This honest review covers what activators do, when they help, when they don’t, and the cheap kitchen alternatives that often work better than commercial products.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) — the framework for business operations considering environmental, social, and ethical impacts beyond profitability — has become standard B2B foodservice consideration. Understanding CSR fundamentals supports informed program development and customer-facing communication.

Carbon offsetting — purchasing credits representing emissions reduction or carbon sequestration elsewhere to compensate for an operation’s emissions — has become standard element of corporate climate programs. Understanding offset frameworks, verification standards, and B2B implications supports informed sustainability strategy.

Regenerative agriculture — farming practices that improve soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem function rather than just maintaining productivity — has emerged as significant element in sustainable foodservice supply chains. Understanding the framework supports informed sourcing and customer-facing communication.

Sustainable packaging design — the systematic approach to packaging considering environmental impact across the lifecycle — has become foundational concept for foodservice procurement. Understanding sustainable packaging design supports informed B2B procurement decisions and customer-facing communication.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — the ‘forever chemicals’ — have become central to foodservice packaging procurement decisions. Understanding the chemistry behind PFAS, why it persists, and where it appears in foodware provides foundational context.

Microplastics — plastic fragments under 5mm that pervade environments and food chains globally — represent emerging concern in foodservice context. Understanding microplastic sources, foodservice contributions, and reduction strategies supports informed B2B sustainability programs and customer-facing communication.

B Corp certification has become a meaningful differentiation for foodservice operators committed to social and environmental performance. Understanding what the certification actually requires — and how packaging procurement fits in — is the foundation for B Corp strategy.