Restaurant Is on a Zero-Waste Mission – and Might Make More Profit Than Before

With not a single traditional trash can on its premises, a wine bar and restaurant in Brooklyn, New York is among a small handful in the United States implementing – to the best of their ability – a zero-waste philosophy.

“We’re in the business of serving people,” says Henry Rich, co-owner of Rhodora. “And it feels incongruent to take care of somebody for an evening and try to show them a great time, and then externalize the waste and carbon footprint of that evening onto people.”

A report from nonprofit organization ReFED shows that restaurants in the United States generate about 11.4 million tons of food waste annually, costing the nation $25.1 billion. Zero-waste practices, on the other hand, could be financially beneficial, with one study showing restaurants save on average $7 for every $1 invested in kitchen food waste reduction strategies.

Reducing waste in as many aspects as possible isn’t easy, but Rhodora – with a goal of reducing environmental impact while maintaining a profitable business – has managed to find many solutions such as compostable packaging and taking care of hard-to-recycle materials. They use beeswax wrap instead of plastic wrap, and their dishwashing setup turns salt into soap. Even their paper menus, when outdated, are composted – and they plan to use the first batch of compost to fertilize their mini-gardens and possibly a nearby rooftop farm. Rich explains of the endeavour, “The hope is that maybe we can influence and inspire some people above and below to learn what zero waste is, because it’s so beautifully simple not having a trash and not sending it to the landfill.”