Adam’s Grille is Going Green
Living in the Kent Island community, we are no strangers to taking pride in our surroundings. Being so close to the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and streams that drain into it, how we run our households and businesses have a direct effect on the health of our waterways. And while will are passionate about BBQ, craft beer, and great customer service, we care a lot about our environment too. That is why Adam’s Kent Island is committed to greener practices. We have a plan to help do our part in reducing Adam’s carbon footprint. By and large, we aim to keep our customers happy while benefiting the Earth with several eco-friendly practices. Keep on reading to learn more about how Adam’s Grille is going green!
Moving Toward Eco-Friendly Containers
One part of the restaurant industry that we have a lot of is containers. Many businesses use styrofoam and plastics. While many are still recyclable, not everyone recycles. Therefore many end up in landfills throughout Maryland. That is why we want to help reduce waste. Adam’s has switched from to paper cups and containers. We are also using a combination of sugarcane and papyrus for all of our carryout boxes and bags. All plastics bags will be replaced with unbleached brown bags and shopping bags that are 100% recyclable.
Also, one of the more prevalent topics concerning the environment is plastic straws. Hence, Adam’s is currently looking for alternative quality straw materials. So far, we have tried paper, hay, and oat. However, the stand-out product is Polylactic acid, or in other words corn plastic straws. With this material, there is no bad taste, it has a good mouth-feel, and is very durable. The only weakness we are finding is that PLA tends to melt in hot fluids. Nevertheless, the PLA straw is our front-runner. In addition, we have also replaced our small plastic sip stirs with Ratan and bamboo fruit skewers. And, while you can’t sip through them, they are 100% biodegradable. (And they do look great in a cocktail!)
Reducing Water and Energy
It isn’t enough to just reduce our waste though. It’s about education. We feel very strongly about educating our staff on the necessity of reduction in the restaurant industry. For instance, water reduction is fairly simple and it all starts with stopping the leaks. After that, we will take it up a notch with the help of automated spigots for hand washing and automatic flushers on the toilets. Also, as we move forward, we are looking to install low-flow sink screens puts more air into the stream and as a result, less water is wasted.
Moreover, we have made it a priority to reduce all utensils and products in general. For example, we now leave only four extra napkins on each table, as opposed to an inch-thick wad of napkins. We are also asking customers if they would like straws instead of automatically placing plastic straws in the drinks.
Finally, lighting is a major sector in the restaurant industry, from mood lighting in the dining room to architecture on the outside of the building, and work lighting in the kitchen areas. There is certainly room to reduce energy in this arena and that’s exactly what we did. Specifically, we replaced just about every bulb at Adam’s, including fluorescent lights with LED tubes. With the LED market covering just about everything from rope lighting and Edison bulbs at tables to LED tubes, there is no excuse not to use these products. Not to mention, the longer battery life means less energy usage and less time spent changing dead bulbs.
The Future is Green
This is just the first step in making the switch to a more eco-friendly business at Adam’s. As always, we promise to continue to improve upon these practices while providing client comfort and convenience. As the green product market is growing, there are no excuses left for companies to not get involved in going green. It is becoming more affordable and we owe it to our surrounding wildlife and communities to do what we can. The best part? You can feel really good about enjoying your favorite BBQ items while going green at Adam’s Grille.