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15 Tips To Make A Sustainable Food Truck

Go local It’s not possible for everyone all the time. But when it is possible, support your local farmers. Take your food truck team to visit a farmer. It is a good exercise in remembering that each piece of food has a story, and a person behind it. Find a sustainable meat producer Sustainable meat can have many definitions, but generally speaking, sustainable meat comes from animals raised on open pasture without the use of added hormones and antibiotics. Know your seafood The criteria for evaluating the sustainability of seafood differ from those for agriculture. Inform yourself and demand that your suppliers are informed too. If they can’t tell you where a fish is from and how and when it was caught, you probably don’t want to be serving it. Not all bottled water is created equal Some companies are working to reduce and offset their carbon footprint through a number of innovative measures. Some of the biggest names in the restaurant world are moving away from water bottled out of house. Discuss an in-house filtration system with your commissary to allow you to offer a number of options. Get rid of Styrofoam Replace Styrofoam take-out containers with containers made of recycled paper. Support organic, biodynamic vini-culture. There are incredible, top-rating biodynamic or organic wines from around the world. Volunteer Choose one day per quarter, or one per month, to devote a morning to community service: send staff to a soup kitchen, bring local kids into the kitchen, teach the kitchen staff of the local elementary school a few tricks, or spend a few hours working in the sun at a community garden. Mobile kitchen equipment of the future is green Major equipment producers, like Hobart and Unified Brands, are developing special initiatives to investigate and develop greener, cleaner, energy-smart machines. This will also save you money in the long run. Fuel efficient driving You can boost the overall fuel-efficiency of your truck as much as 30% by simple vehicle maintenance and attention to your style of driving. Not only will this reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, but could save you hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs. Green your cleaning routine Trade astringent, non-biodegradable, potentially carcinogenic. chemical kitchen cleaners for biodegradable, eco-safe products. Recycle your fryer oil There are biofuel companies across the country that will pick it up and convert it. Cut down on shipping materials Request that suppliers send goods with the least amount of packing materials possible. Request that Styrofoam packaging not be used. Recycle Be strict about recycling glass and plastic receptacles. Recycle cardboard and wood boxes used for produce. Ice = water + energy Don’t waste it! Don’t automatically refill ice bins – wait until they truly get low, and only add as much as you need to get through the crush. Ice is expensive to produce, both in terms of money and resources. Co-op If you use a shared commercial kitchen or commissary look into joining (or forming) a local co-op for purchasing green items. Cleaning supplies, paper products are all cheaper in bulk. Educate yourself and your staff From agricultural philosophy to the specifics of food truck operations, the number of resources for green issues and practices is ever-growing. Your staff needs to know why you’re doing what you’re doing, so that they can spread the word. The Bottom Line Most food trucks don’t possess a deep understanding about sustainability. A sustainable food truck is one whose purpose and actions are equally grounded in financial, environmental and social concerns. article: richard myrick image: mark boss