Environmental Law and Policy Center » Greener Restaurants

Chicago Tribune Reports on Greenwashing

jgeiger — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:23:26 +0000

On May 7th, the Chicago Tribune published an article about greenwashing, or “the practice of disingenuously spinning a product, service or policy as greener than it actually is.” Given the popularity of green products in the marketplace, it’s not surprising that some companies are labeling their products “green” even when they aren’t.

“The good news is that consumers are taking environmental performance into account when making buying decisions,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center, which is starting to look at which wireless service providers might be truly green. “But if people pay good green dollars to get green performance, the environmental results should justify the investment.”

Read the full article.

Illinois Passes New Composting Bill

jgeiger — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:22:08 +0000

On August 13, 2009, Illinois passed a new composting bill, Senate Bill 99. The bill, sponsored by Senator Heather Steans, opens the door to commercial composting in Illinois. The Environmental Law & Policy Center and other groups provided technical support for drafting and negotiating the bill.

Statewide, organic waste represents 1/3 of the trash brought to Illinois landfills. The new bill creates smarter regulations for commercial composting, making it economically attractive for investors to begin commercial operations. Business plans are already in the works for services that pick up food scraps from Chicago restaurants, compost the material and sell the end product. Composting businesses will create new income and four times as many jobs as traditional waste disposal according to the Institute for Local Self Reliance.

“This bill will literally allow Illinois businesses to make wealth out of waste,” said Mel Nickerson, Staff Attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center. “We’ve gotten a lot smarter about reducing waste from materials like paper and aluminum. Now Illinois can change how we deal with food waste, allowing us to create rich compost, lower green house gases and turn a profit.”

Greening Chicago’s Restaurants

elpc — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:19:44 +0000

Chicago has long been known for its great restaurants, wide variety of cuisines and local favorites. More recently the city has earned a reputation for being one of the greenest cities in America. The time is ripe for Chicago restaurants to “go green.” Chicago’s restaurant industry has untapped potential for greener practices and policies that can have a significant impact on this business sector’s impacts on the environment. With its Green Restaurants Program, the Environmental Law & Policy Center is working to help restaurants “green” their practices to create a healthier environment for staff and patrons.

To learn the ways you can green your restaurant, visit ELPC’s GreenRestaurants.org site.

USA Today Green Restaurant Story Features ELPC

elpc — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:33:04 +0000

USA Today profiled the “green” trend sweeping restaurants across the nation, with a look at high profile chains that are promoting green practices. ELPC’s Charlie Kubert, who runs ELPC’s Green Restaurants project, spoke with the reporter about our work advising Chicago restaurants on ways to improve their environmental footprints. “Everything that comes out of a restaurant could either be recycled or composted,” says Kubert. “Yet, most restaurants don’t do a good job of either.”