Session Chairs: Stuart Coleman, Surfrider Foundation; Bill Hickman, Surfrider Foundation
This session is geared toward activists, restaurant owners, customers and all those who are trying to reduce the pollution from single-use plastic foodware.
For years, the Surfrider Foundation’s extended network of chapters and youth clubs has worked with our non-profit partners to pass many bills to reduce the millions of tons of plastic pollution entering our oceans each year. Along with passing bill to ban plastic bags, polystyrene foodware and other single-use plastics, we have also developed a new program called Ocean Friendly Restaurants to reduce plastic pollution at its source. The restaurant industry generates vast amounts of plastic waste, including single-use plastic straws, utensils, plates, cups and many other plastic containers that often end up in our rivers, coastlines and oceans as marine debris. Trying to pass legislative bans can be a long and difficult process that often pits environmentalists against the plastics industry and other businesses. By contrast, the OFR Program recognizes those restaurants that are voluntarily reducing plastic waste and inefficient uses of energy and water. In order to be certified as an OFR, food establishments meet the four mandatory criteria (no foam or plastic bags, reusable cups/plates/utensils & proper recycling practices) and three of six other optional criteria. This program offers a win-win-win solution for restaurants, customers and those who are trying to protect the environment. The program was originally launched by Surfrider’s San Diego Chapter and soon spread to other regions like Hawaii. After launching the OFR program on Earth Day 2016, Hawaii’s five chapters have certified more than 130 restaurants and received rave reviews from celebrity chefs and the media. Based on the success in CA, HI and other areas, Surfrider will be taking this program national later this year. This kind of win-win-win scenario could be a model for environmental advocates and everyday customers to work with the private sector to reduce not only plastic waste but also their costs.
PANEL (following presentation):
- – Kara Woodring, Aardvark Straws
- – Stuart Coleman, Surfrider Foundation
- – Bill Hickman, Surfrider Foundation
- – Hermann Schafer, Hilton San Diego Resort
- – Trent Hodges, Surfrider Foundation
Abstracts
Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program Overview
presenting: Bill Hickman (Surfrider Foundation, United States); authors: Bill Hickman (Surfrider Foundation, United States), Stuart Coleman (Surfrider Foundation)
This presentation is geared toward activists, restaurant owners, customers and all those who are trying to reduce the pollution from restaurant single-use plastics. For years, the Surfrider Foundation’s extended network of chapters and youth clubs has worked with our non-profit partners to pass many bills to reduce the millions of tons of plastic pollution entering our oceans each year.
Along with passing bill to ban plastic bags, polystyrene foodware and other single-use plastics, we have also developed a new program called Ocean Friendly Restaurants to reduce plastic pollution at its source. The restaurant industry generates vast amounts of plastic waste, including single-use plastic straws, utensils, plates, cups and many other plastic containers that often end up in our rivers, coastlines and oceans as marine debris. Trying to pass legislative bans can be a long and difficult process that often pits environmentalists against the plastics industry and other businesses.
By contrast, the OFR Program recognizes those restaurants that are voluntarily reducing plastic waste and inefficient uses of energy and water. In order to be certified as an OFR, food establishments meet the four mandatory criteria (no foam or plastic bags, reusable cups/plates/utensils & proper recycling practices) and three of six other optional criteria. This program offers a win-win-win solution for restaurants, customers and those who are trying to protect the environment. This kind of win-win-win scenario could be a model for environmental advocates and everyday customers to work with the private sector to reduce not only plastic waste but also their costs.
Ocean Friendly Restaurants Industry Experts Discussion Panel
Authors: Bill Hickman (Surfrider Foundation, United States), Stuart Coleman (Surfrider Foundation)
This presentation and panel is geared toward activists, restaurant owners, customers and all those who are trying to reduce the pollution from restaurant single-use plastics. Along with passing legislation to ban plastic bags, polystyrene foodware and other single-use plastics, Surfrider Foundation also developed a new program called Ocean Friendly Restaurants to reduce plastic pollution at its source.
After providing a brief overview of the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program, we will have a panel of industry experts share their views on plastic pollution and how to eliminate. Panelists include:
Aardvark Straws representative Kara Woodring. Aardvark straws is the only manufacturer of paper straws in the United State.
Compostable products manufacturing or distribution representative. The market is flooded with non-plastic food ware choices and it can be tough to tell which are best.
Waste management representative. What can we really recycle and compost from restaurants?
Restaurant owner and server. How can restaurants save money and make money from being an Ocean Friendly Restaurant.