Los Angeles is infamous for its eclectic culture, great food and glamorous nightlife. But despite these perks, the city is unfortunately also known for its unbearable traffic and severe pollution.

There are countless efforts being made to “go green” in order to thwart these massive environmental problems and now LA restaurants have joined the fight and are going green too!

Slowly but surely, LA restaurateurs are recognizing the effects of the large amounts of garbage produced daily. The paper menus, the plastic utensils and the take out containers made of expanded polystyrene (commonly referred to incorrectly as the trade name ‘Styrofoam’) all contribute to non-recyclable waste products being produced by all restaurants all the time!

But there is hope.

The Green Restaurant Association is a non-profit organization that helps manage the environmental impacts of the restaurant industry. GRA consultants assist restaurants in implementing certain environmental guidelines including pollution prevention, chlorine-free paper and using recycled, biodegradable, tree-free and organic products.

Leaf Cusine Restaurant in Culver City specializes in organic, vegan and raw foods and is certified by the GRA. Owners at Leaf Cuisine recycle all plastic, glass and paper products, use non-toxic cleaning supplies, corn starch base to go cups and buy only recycled paper for bathrooms and napkins. Tender Greens Restaurant in Culver City is also thinking environmentally. All of its serviceware is biodegradable including the napkins and the to go containers.

The city of Malibu has implemented a ban on all polystyrene products in an effort to preserve the beauty of the nearby beaches. Ordonnance No. 286 states that “No Restaurant, Food Packager, Retail Food Vendor, Vendor or Non-Profit Food Provider shall provide Prepared Food to its customers in any Food Package in any Food Packaging that utilizes Expanded Polystyrene.” With much determination, Malibu will attempt to eliminate all products widely used in the restaurant industry that damage the environment by taking several decades to hundreds of years to deteriorate in the environment of a landfill. Other cities including Huntington Beach and San Clemente are also taking a similiar approach as both cities have also banned polystyrene products.

However, despite big steps forward there are those who believe that restaurants going green may be more difficult than imagined. According to the California Restaurant Association, a food packaging ban is unrealistic and does not really address the problems of waste management. The CRA makes several arguments against the ban including the possibility of threatening food safety due to the melting points of certain alternatives. Also, some of the alternatives do not retain heat well, causing foods to spoil and resulting in food poisoning. Other arguments touch on the expensive cost of alternatives to polystyrene and the confusion that may result for different restaurants in different cities and different jurisdictions where laws may vary in severity.

Nevertheless, despite these drawbacks, there are obviously many ways restaurants can contribute to the ongoing green movement. With awareness, we are always moving forward and it is exciting to see how the restaurant industry will contribute in the future in the fight for a cleaner more sustainable environment. Visit www.dinegreen.com and www.calrest.org for more information.

Photo be _e.t.via Flickr

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