Green Practices in Restaurants for Earth Day

Another trip around the sun and it’s almost time for Earth Day 2025. From plant based diets to green practices in restaurants, more and more environmental awareness can be found in food service businesses. That’s why it might be a great idea to promote Earth Day in your restaurant and try your hand at going green. Investing in green practices means investing in the health and longevity of your business. 

About Earth Day

While Earth Day is a newer holiday, it can be just as important as any other. Earth Day started as a way to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainability. Originally, this day started with students and campuses, teaching the youth about pollution and eco-friendly ideas. Now the holiday has spilled into many different services and societies, becoming a global holiday. Earth Day is all about sustainability and that should be important to restaurants. From produce grown on the earth to being plated at a restaurant, sustainability and environmental issues impact us all. 

Why Go Green?

So you might be asfood king yourself, why should I go green? Why should restaurant sustainability be important to me? Sustainability is the future, and implementing sustainable practices in your foodservice business can lower costs in the long term. Having green practices in restaurants also is a great way to promote to customers that you care about your impact. People care about where they spend their money and where they eat, so knowing they are choosing a restaurant that chooses them is meaningful. 

Businesses to Go Green

So who can participate in Earth Day 2025? Just about every food service business and kitchen can get in on the green. Even the smallest change can make a huge impact on businesses like:

• Hotel/hospitality


• Restaurants


• Convenience/grocery stores


• School/hospital cafeterias


• Food trucks


• Coffee shops


• Catering companies

How to Go Green?

• Composting – Composting is a great way to reduce waste in kitchens and help stop landfill waste. You can compost kitchen scraps yourself or if your restaurant kitchen isn’t set up for that, there are many programs available that provide drop-offs. If you’re serious about setting up composting for your foodservice business check out our How Do You Compost Food Waste guide to get started. 


• Recycling – The first line of defense in sustainability, recycling is a great way to implement environmental practices for Earth Day 2025. Some small steps might include separate bins for recyclables and having these bins accessible in different areas. Buying in bulk also helps cut down on the amount of recycling.  


• Energy efficient products – Energy efficient appliances are a great way to help lower costs and implement some green practices. From ovens to refrigeration, there are many newer appliances that help conserve energy. Don’t forget about light bulbs and thermostats that can also help reduce energy usage. 


• Less disposables – Cutting down on single-use plastics and disposable items is a key way to go green. Or if you need to have disposable items, look into paper or compostable options for those. The market is full of new and innovative options that are better than single-use plastic. 


• Source locally – Not only can sourcing ingredients locally help to cut down on the waste that comes with importing food, it also means supporting other local businesses. Serving up more seasonal foods and dishes is a great way to go greener in a commercial kitchen and promote your sustainability to customers. 


• Reduce food waste – Reducing food waste is another great way to implement green practices in restaurants. This gets ahead of composting beforehand and reduces the amount of waste you produce. For more strategies on reducing waste, check out our how to reduce food waste in restaurants guide that can help you invest in more sustainable practices.