A growing phenomenon

For some time now, many industries – especially the catering trade – have been becoming much more aware of the environment and how it can impact people's daily lives. Their focus has involved measuring the pollution they produce and looking at ways to reduce the carbon footprint embedded in their structure (local architecture).

As a starting point, we need to understand what makes a restaurant green or sustainable. Essentially it is one that uses fresh, local, organic, seasonal and sustainable food, controls the traceability of its suppliers, recycles waste and integrates its whole team (employees) into these practices. It also has facilities and equipment that help the environment.

Energy efficiency and effective water use are vital because the objective of a sustainable restaurant is not just to save money but also to take up the cause of being environmentally responsible.

Energy efficiency and effective water use are vital because the objective of a sustainable restaurant is not just to save money but also to take up the cause of being environmentally responsible.

A sustainable restaurant is located in a building that has been designed not to negatively impact its surroundings and is ideally self-sufficient, for example, using solar panel-powered water heating systems. It is built from recycled or reused materials and is in harmony with its surroundings (blending well in style and design with the other buildings and being in harmony with the neighbourhood as a whole). The building must not consume too much energy, for instance using LED screens.

Similarly it should either provide compostable drinking straws or not use them at all, as well as wooden cutlery, and packaging that is reusable or made from recycled material. Cup lids are now a thing of the past. All of these elements are designed to educate people and eliminate harmful practices that are completely unsustainable.

A great example is provided by our friends at G&N Brands: they made a commitment to the environment and society because they set out to be a green company that would help achieve a better planet.

"One of our actions to meet this challenge was to opt for sustainable architecture."

The following are some of the ways in which G&N have really stood out:

• Since 2021, G&N Brands has been committed to having efficient lighting all its new stores. This includes both light bulbs and the screens where its menus are displayed.
• Since then, its premises have been transformed to make them efficient in terms of lighting and screens.

Another of the goals of sustainable architecture is to stimulate the circular economy in construction. For example, the Lovdo Pizza store in the Santiago district of Manuel Montt includes a number of very practical innovations, such as the following:

• A container was reused to make its walls, giving it a useful new life.
• Pizza boxes were used to decorate the walls.
• Ecological paint was chosen for the metal coatings.
• In the interior they used reclaimed pine wood to put less pressure on forest resources.
• A material with SCS ecological certification.

So now you know! We can save the planet by eating with a conscience!

To learn even more, we invite you to review our blog.

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