Zero-waste kitchen, greening of plates, short-circuit provision… Faced with the urgency of the climate crisis, more and more restaurant owners are opting for an eco-responsible approach. Thanks to their efforts in this area, since 2020 they have been able to earn a new star from the Michelin Guide, the green star. But this distinction is also a valuable resource for consumers seeking greener and more engaged tables. And she is far from alone. Other clues now allow you to go to an address that meets your green expectations. Presentation of two of them.
The eco-friendly label, to promote the commitment to sustainable development
What do the star restaurant of the winner of Top Chef in 2020, David Gallienne (le jardin des Plumes, in Giverny), the street food brand reserved for seafood products Mersea, the Crêperie de l’Ancienne have in common? Bourg-la-Reine or Café A in Saint-Martin-d’Uriage? All these addresses, however different, have been awarded the eco-friendly label.
Launched in 2018 to support the transformation of restaurateurs towards a better commitment to sustainable development, this accolade has now been awarded to 160 establishments across France. Food prepared on site, availability of vegetarian recipes, use of untreated citrus fruits and eggs not from intensive chicken farms… These are all criteria that candidates for the eco-friendly label must meet.
In fact, she and she must pass an audit to hope to display the logo representing a circle with a line above it. An assessment of their participation in reducing the carbon footprint of their activity carried out on their own initiative. There are costs associated with the registration, in particular the payment of administration costs. A total of 200 criteria are checked by ecotable inspectors. Candidates can expect additional points if they use eco-friendly products, do not serve industrial beverages, or follow a zero-waste policy.
Ultimately, three levels of engagement can be validated. Restorers and restaurateurs who score more than 70 out of 100 will receive a triple logo, awarded to tables where more than half of the products used in the kitchen come from organic farming, if not from sustainable channels. To obtain it, it is also necessary not to use endangered species of fish and to work with meat of French origin.
In addition to this labeling process, the Ecotable company is also involved in an educational process to help restaurateurs switch to more eco-responsibility. Training thus makes it possible to respond to the various problems of professionals.
“Plastic-free” certification for companies that ban plastic
Packaging, storage bags, bottles, storage boxes… There are a thousand and one forms of plastic that can be found in every corner of a kitchen. Also at this level the chefs can influence the issue of waste reduction thanks to their decision. Recall that 370 million tons of plastic were produced in 2019, while according to figures from the General Commission for Sustainable Development, 2% to 3% of this mass that destroys the planet ends up in the marine environment. Bottles, caps and other lids are the most common waste on European beaches.
Some chefs have become aware of this plastic pollution and have been awarded the label of “plastic-free certification”, an Italian start-up that audits companies committed to eliminating plastic. To obtain this label, inspections take place at every stage of the process. At the beginning of the course, the company identifies the level at which candidates need to intervene to hope to achieve the certification, which is planned for a year. During the evaluation process, the Plastic Free certification identifies a model that must be followed to be exemplary, especially in the total elimination of single-use plastics, a prerequisite for being recognized as a player in the effort to reduce plastic waste .
To date, very few restorers and restorers have received the recognition of the Italian start-up. In Menton, Mauro Colagreco’s three-star restaurant was the first to achieve a “plastic-free label”. The Italian-Argentine chef has since been joined by America’s first three-star female chef, Dominique Crenn, with her San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn. The restaurants of the Auberge du Père Bise on the shores of Lake Annecy are the latest recipients.
The big starred restaurants are not the only ones leading by example. There’s also Le Petit Cambodge, in Paris, which serves accessible dishes with Thai and Khmer influences, boasting that they no longer use plastic at all.
(ETX Daily Up)