Buy Local – Buy In-season

American Dining Creations is committed to acting as a responsible steward of our environment. This means offering a variety of innovative eco-friendly solutions including local and in-season sourcing, small-batch cooking and limiting food waste.

Limiting Food Waste

We have found that one of the easiest ways to deal with food waste is to simply avoid creating it in the first place. This is one of the founding principles of our small-batch, à la minute culinary production technique.  By cooking more meals on-demand or in smaller batches, we are able to avoid the dangers inherent in over production while elevating the culinary experience.  Our food waste program allows us to monitor, report, and ensure proper disposal of food waste while at the same time curbing over-production. This program is supplemented with inventory management. Add the countless hours we spend training on-site chefs and managers on proper production methods and à la minute preparation techniques, and you’ve got a program that allows us to reduce food waste for our clients.

Going Above and Beyond

We have a number of programs that move beyond recycling initiatives:

  • Food Composting:  After we have done all we can to limit waste, we would be eager to put in place an aggressive composting program for certain unavoidable waste with a hands-on education and engagement program to assist with proper implementation.
  • Used Oils to Biofuel:  All of our dining operations have implemented a 100% recycling program on all oils, converting thousands of gallons of waste to usable energy every year.

Sustainable Engagement & Educational Events

American Dining Creations will plan and advertise a series of engagement events around sustainability throughout the year. The goal of these events will be to highlight issues around sustainability in foodservice and educate on ways to reduce carbon “foodprints” through diet.

  • Low Carbon Menus: The average American creates almost three tons of carbon dioxide through eating and one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to the food supply chain. Thus, one of the ways we can promote more sustainable dining is by advertising a series of “low carbon diet” menus and educating guests on what it means to eat a “sustainable” diet.
  • Meatless Monday: One example of a low carbon diet feature would be the highlighted inclusion of Meatless Monday menu options.
  • Local Harvest Events: All of our accounts host “local harvest” events, and many also sponsor annual farmers markets.

Reuse and Recycling Programs:  American Dining Creations works with individual clients and maintains active reuse and recycling programs at all of our dining operations. Wherever possible, we employ reusable items in our cafés such as reusable cups/containers, to cut down on waste. Where reusable products are impractical, we have active recycling programs.

Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffees and Teas:  American Dining Creations is committed to providing environmentally sustainable beverage options for every operation. This is why we are proud to offer a wide selection of coffees and teas that are grown from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

Building Strong Partnerships with Environmentally Conscience Suppliers:  One of the criteria that we use to judge and reevaluate relationships with our suppliers is their commitment to environmental sustainability. Using this principle has led American Dining Creations to build strong relationships with EcoLabs, Pepsico, Gordon Foods, Flavia/M&M Mars, Unilever, Coca Cola, and countless other companies who not only provide quality products but are also recognized environmental leaders within their industries.

Energy Conservation

All of our cafés have implemented an energy conservation protocol that calls for:

  • Pre-Heating: Limited preheating time for equipment
  • Preparation: Maximized energy efficiency through culinary preparation schedules
  • Lighting: Reduced lighting where applicable
  • Exhaust: Employing exhaust fans only when necessary

 

Reuse and Recycling Initiatives

  • At our corporate headquarters and within each of our regional offices we maintain a strict reuse and recycling program. Below are a few of the highlights of this program:
  • All cardboard, plastic, wood, and scrap metal from product and equipment packaging is either reused or recycled.
  • All outdated computers, cell phones, and other IT equipment is either given to American Dining Creation employees, donated to charitable organizations, or sent back to the manufacturer to be recycled.
  • All outdated vending, coffee, and water equipment is stripped for reusable or recyclable materials and converted to condiment stands or storage cabinets.
  • All paper and ink cartridges used in our offices are recycled, and associates are encouraged not to print material unless absolutely necessary.
  • Lighting in all of our offices has been or is in the process of being converted to highly efficient fluorescent lighting.

Go Green … Go Bottleless

American Dining Creations carries a number of product lines noted for their environmentally beneficial attributes. We maintain a full line water filtration division to eliminate our clients’ need for plastic water bottles and water delivery services. Our most popular single-serve coffee line—Flavia—uses 60% less energy than comparable brewers and each coffee packet is made from 90% post-industrial recycled plastic and can be “up-cycled” through our innovative terra-cycling program. We also carry a complete line of “green” ancillary products (cup, stir sticks, napkins, plasticware, etc.) made up of entirely recycled materials.

Disposable Servicewares

We can provide a complete full line of green service wares from a variety of different manufacturers around the United States. From cups, plates, napkins, and utensils to the product packaging and display items. Per the RFP, we can provide a complete service wares program that is either compostable or recyclable for Thomson Reuters.

Reusable To-Go Containers

When available, we work to promote the use of china in all of our cafes. We do this to eliminate the use of single-serve plastics and reduce waste. We also have a further solution that has the potential to eliminate disposable to-go containers entirely. The logistics of our reusable to-go containers are not as complicated as you would imagine and the up-front cost of the program is outweighed by the long-term savings.