Sustainability in Hospitality is trending in all the media features these days. Following the Covid Pandemic, consumers are becoming more conscious about their own health as well as the natural and built environment. Luckily I feel like this is one trend that isn’t going anywhere. The world is becoming more educated around the human impact on the planet and are now willing to be an active part of the solution. Hospitality as always leads the way! So what do you need to think about in order to design a sustainable restaurant? Well first and foremost you need to look at your overall business, I wrote about what considerations you need to make for your restaurant overall here.
Once you have the brand and business value in sync, you can think about how to communicate these through your interiors. Eco Friendly interior design does not need to be as complicated as you may think, here are the key areas that will make the biggest difference;
VOC Content
Volatile Organic Compounds in very simple terms are chemicals that are released into the air due to very low boiling points (which is where the “Volatile” comes from!). They are commonly known to be in paint, which is what you smell with most readily available paints and thinners. But what many people dont realise is that they are also found in coatings of many products, such as tables and chairs for example. The problem with VOC is that they continue to release into the air even after application, so even if you cannot smell that fresh paint or that new table anymore, it is still there. More and more paint and coating companies are releasing products with very little VOC content or even with zero VOC content. This is what you need to look for and will be the first and most significant move in creating an eco-friendly restaurant. Air purity is a subject with very little knowledge and information at the moment, but we dont need experts to tell us that the purer the air is that we breathe, the better it will be for our long term health.
Furniture
If you are refurbishing an existing restaurant or if you are looking to kit out your first restaurant purchase, one of the biggest expenses is furniture. Rather than buying new, consider buying preloved furniture or upcycle what you already have. Check local facebook Marketplace or local selling sites for gems. Spend some time on Gumtree, Shpock and Ebay for furniture and even kitchen equipment that is being sold on by dissolved businesses needing to sell on cheaply, you will be surprised about the bargains you can find! Another great place to shop is your local reclamation yard, this can be an Aladdins cave of antique finds that look incredible. The biggest tip I can give here is not to worry about “matching” or having everything as part of a set, eclectic schemes look fun and more organic. If you struggle with putting different designs together, ask an interior designer to help you wih this!
3. Natural Materials
Despite what you might think, not all “natural” materials are eco-friendly. In order to assess the environmental impact of a material you need to understand the cycle of its life from growing to manufacture to disposal or recycling. Cotton as an example is thought of as a good natural material, but in actual fact due to the energy required in growing cotton plants, it is one of the most environmentally damaging crops. There are many eco friendly solutions such as recycled fabrics and alternatives such as hemp on the market that are well worth considering. Always ask your suppliers where they source their materials and question their manufacture process. It is important to note that I have experienced many companies “greenwashing” their businesses in order to appear eco conscious, so do your research or hire an interior designer that has already done this for you.
4. Plants, Plants and more Plants!
You will have seen the Green wall trend no doubt, but this trend is no accident. With the rise of consumers understanding the importance of air quality and the increasing desire to be closer to nature, the green trend is one that will be here to stay. There are many faux alternatives that are no doubt cheaper and will require zero maintenance so is definitely tempting. But there is nothing like the real thing. As well as looking gorgeous, plants and greenery improve the indooor air quality benefiting the wellbeing of your customers and your staff. The options are limitless, from adding a few plant pots here and there to entire walls covered in moss. With social distancing requirements, planters also make fantastic screens that look a gazillion times better than expensive plastic screens and obviously better for the environment too! With the need to source food locally, why not consider growing your own herbs and greens and making this a feature in your restaurant? Beautiful and practical!
5. Waste Management
Packaging is the obvious one that most restaurant are already thinking about, just remember that many “recyclable” disposables cannot actually be recycled if they are greasy! Not many people know this, so if you are serious about sustainability make sure you research this properly with your packaging suppliers.
Other areas to look at are energy wastage, ensure your kitchen equipment and appliances are regularly serviced and have a high energy efficiency rating. Disclaimer: low energy rated equipment is often cheaper at the outset but running costs will add up in the long term! This also goes for lighting, LED lights will have a much lower energy consumption and last longer therefore saving costs in the long term.
Disposal - Did you know many councils offer free cardboard recycling? They dont advertise this, so ensure you ask! This is obviously good for the environment, but also saves you a considerable amount of money!
Food and drink - Check stock regularly and buy local and seasonal produce to minimise wastage. Consider apps such as Toogoodtogo and Olio where leftover cooked food can be collected by people in the community. Requires a bit of time investment in managing this, but this is offset by the impact on the planet and the good-will you will build in the community. I always urge you to look at the wider picture!
There is amazing equipment to help with drink wastage too, wine bottles can be preserved and recorked after opening and save bottles being poured away having been open too long. Again this equipment does not come cheap, but the long term savings in cost of wastage is well worth considering.
I go into more behind the scenes business tips on being more sustainable in a previous blog which you may find interesting, read here.
I hope you found these tips helpful and informative, if you would like to discuss how to make your restaurant more sustainable or you are looking for an interior designer to help you make eco friendly decisions, I would love to hear from you!