New program launched in Chicago.
Green Seal, an independent non-profit providing sustainability certification for products and services, launched a new sustainability standard for restaurants and non-commercial foodservice operators in conjunction with The Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition (GCRC) and The Rosenthal Group.
The standard, GS-55, evaluates restaurants and institutional foodservice operations through criteria that minimizes environmental impact in such categories as food sourcing through use of foods produced in a sustainable manner; waste management, including food waste, compostable waste, recycling and water quality management; energy use; water consumption and the use of other environmentally preferable products and services.
In developing GS-55 a pilot program worked with Chicago restaurants using criteria developed on the basis of a study by the Green Restaurant Research Team at the University of Chicago in cooperation with GCRC.
Eight Chicago restaurants and foodservice operators, including two in McCormick Place, have achieved certification so far. These include:
- Autre Monde Café & Spirits
- FIG Catering
- Food For Thought
- Sandwich Me In
- La Brea Bakery Café
- West Hall Food Court at McCormick Place
- Cicchetti
- The Sopraffina Marketcaffé
An additional 12 Chicago area restaurants are in the process of being evaluated for certification.
As part of this certification process, Green Seal verifies, monitors, and holds each restaurant accountable for meeting requirements and conducts a complete review of purchasing records, processes and communications, as well as on-site audits.