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Click here to find a showing at Harkins Camelview in Scottsdale.

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What are you doing to make your business more environmentally friendly? Why?

I strive to make my business more environmentally friendly everyday. I buy local organic produce whenever possible. I make suggestions to clients where to shop and how to reduce waste. I use re-usable containers and recycle any product packaging I can. It is important to me to be more aware of my surroundings and appreciate everything in nature not just use and abuse the environment but work with it and help in anyway I can.

She has some flexibility around Valentines’ Day – how cool would a home prepared chef-quality, organic meal be for you and your sweetie? I love it! She provides service to most places in the valley so check out her website and see if your area is an option. Also, she has entirely vegan menus available as well as really great sounding omnivorous or vegetarian ones. I am so glad that this Chef is out there spreading the word about healthy eating, for individuals sake, and for the sake of our environment. Go Chef Steph!

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Engrained is designed as an educational food experience demonstrating how a restaurant operates focused on sustainability & environmental stewardship utilizing local, organic, humane and fair-trade foods.

Engrained is as much about the experience of dining as the food itself served in a fast-casual dining atmosphere, rather than fast-food or grab & go. The idea is to stop into Engrained for a casual lunch to step-back from the business of campus life. Engrained is designed as an educational food experience surrounding sustainability and environmental stewardship with a focus on what we are making, the ingredients used and how it is handled. In turn, the menu will change daily with a key focus on seasonal foods from the area. There is a focus on healthier eating based on seasonal fresh fruits & vegetables, vegan and vegetarian options, local meats and dairy etc. We are also partnering with the ASU by harvesting items such as produce, herbs, citrus and dates.

The restaurant also features environmentally responsible construction utilizing renewable resources and Energy Star appliances where possible. Built in the same footprint as the Maricopa Café on the upper-level of the Memorial Union, Engrained features a new layout with center-island where customers can dine and watch meals prepared and cooked in hearth oven, hip look and relaxing vibe.

Check out their site here for more information and their menu

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Photo by: Majiscup

Corn plastic or PLA (polylactic acid) cups, utensils, and packaging have been popping up everywhere and I have been curious how they stack up against conventional plastic. It seems obvious that plastic made from corn would be more eco-friendly right? I did a little research and compiled a list of PLAs green pros and cons.

Pros:

• Manufactured from corn starch, a renewable resource.
• Biodegradable, breaks down into mostly carbon dioxide and water.
• Compostable, 6-12 months in a home composter (Many people are reporting that they will not compost in a home composter), 1-6 months in a commercial composter. Longer for heat resistant utensils. Once composted it is indistinguishable from the other compost.
• Does not emit toxic fumes if incinerated.
• Does not leech chemicals into food or soil.
• Freezer safe.
• Can handle hot items up to 120F (200F for utensils).
• Looks, feels, handles just like plastic.
• Is inexpensive.

Cons:

• Is not recyclable, must be kept separate from plastic.
• Few commercial composting facilities (113 in U.S.), only 1/4 of which accept residential materials.
• Commercial Composters use Microbes to break down organic material. Large amounts of PLA in a composter would cause problems because it breaks down into lactic acid which is wetter and more acidic. They can break this down but it requires more oxygen for the microbes to consume. Commercial Facilities would have trouble providing enough oxygen for large amounts of PLA to breakdown. Anaerobic digesters would not have the same problem.
• It is estimated that in a landfill PLA will take anywhere from 100 to a 1000 years to biodegrade.
• Typically made from genetically modified corn and usually not organic.
• Diverting corn away from the world’s food supply.

To me the cons don’t seem too bad considering plastic can’t be composted, takes longer to decompose in a landfill (starts decomposing after around 700 years), and can leech chemicals into food and the soil. Overall I think PLA is a pretty good substitute for disposable plastic cups, utensils, and packaging.  What do you think? Any more pros and cons?

edit: Lots of good comments made and a few saying that perhaps these are not as eco-friendly as their manufactures want you think. See comments for details..

For more in depth information check out these links:

• Corn Plastic to the Rescue
• Information on bioplastics

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Tempe

• Green: 2240 N Scottsdale Rd # 8 Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 941-9003
• Tasty Kabob: 1250 E Apache Blvd # 116 Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 966-0260
• Udupi: 1636 N Scottsdale Rd Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 994-8787
• Wildflower Bread Company: Locations all over Phoenix.
• Blue Nile Cafe: 933 E University Dr Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 377-1113
• The Center Cafe: 21 East 6th Street, Suite 114 Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 491-5591
• Three Roots Cafe: 1020 S. Mill Ave. Tempe, AZ 85281, (480) 966-4949 [click here to read our full review]
• Haji-Baba: 1513 E Apache Blvd, Tempe (480) 966-4672

Phoenix

• The Farm at South Mountain: 6106 S. 32nd Street Phoenix, AZ 85042 (602) 276-6360

Scottsdale

• Rancho Pinot Grill :6208 N Scottsdale Rd # 101 Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 367-8030
• Sabuddy Israeli Restaurant: 480.348.2333 6949 E. Shea Blvd. #10, Scottsdale, Arizona 85254
• Soma Cafe: 10810 N. Tatum Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85034 (602) 867-2175
• The Herb Box: 6990 E. Shea Blvd. Suite 116, Scottsdale, AZ  85254  (480)998-8355

Yuma

• Nature’s Express: 2905 4^th Avenue Yuma, AZ 85364 (928) 317-8300
• River City Grill: 600 W 3rd St Yuma, AZ 85364 (928) 782-7988
• La Fonda Tortilla Factory: 1095 S 3rd Ave Yuma, AZ 85364 (928) 783-6902

Flagstaff

• Macy’s European Coffee House: 14 S Beaver St Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 774-2243
• Black Bean Burrito Bar & Salsa: 12 E Route 66 # 104 Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 779-9905

Tucson

• Casbah Tea House: 628 N 4th Ave Tucson, AZ 85705-8449, (520) 740-0393

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And once again I’d recommend the docurama film: King Corn, which explores our current model of corn production and how it is causing a malnourished, unhealthy population.

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On another adventure for local food and coffee, where vegan goodies and a sincere concern for the environment can be found, we made our way to Three Roots Coffee House and Cafe in Tempe, AZ. This is a stone’s throw from the Arizona State University Campus and has been there in its quaint and charming location across Mill Avenue from the Gammage Auditorium and Fine Art Museum since 2003 yet some how it had been overlooked by us for five long years. Our patronage there was long overdue and worth the slight struggle to find a parking spot as the feel of the place is fantastic. Quiet, studious college kids reading and clicking away on laptops with free wifi filled the cozy cafe. Eclectic artwork, fabrics, and colors adorned the walls and furniture and made for an inviting space. We were greeted by genuinely friendly baristas who had been casually chatting with other customers near by.

Their small menu is 100% vegetarian and nearly all vegan with the exception of one grilled cheese sandwich that comes with Meunster. They have all of the comfort food any vegan could ever desire, from fresh vegan potato salad to warm creamy vegan mac and ‘cheese’. I thoroughly enjoyed and devoured my eggless egg salad sandwich on my first trip and on my second I enjoyed their ceasar “chicken” wrap. Their jasmine-green tea was fabulous, as was their house iced tea, refreshing and light with a hint of cooling mint perfect for the warmer weather.

They make an effort to buy organic and local ingredients to support sustainable agriculture and local businesses which is good for our local economy and for the environment. After my first trip I was absolutely hooked. I would recommend you give them a try if you are in the Tempe area and looking for a great little spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner or a perfect place to have tea or coffee. They even have local musicians that perform there on a regular basis. Their prices are very reasonable, the food is wonderful, the staff is extremely friendly and they are making an effort to decrease their impact on the environment. What more could you want?

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Check out this article: Less waste, more taste: maximize your produce, to learn more about some great places to get fresh organic produce and how to store it properly. I’d also recommend the docurama: King Corn, which explores our current model of corn production and how it is causing a malnourished, unhealthy population.

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Many of us have the best of intentions. We don’t have money to throw away. You would not purchase food just to throw it away but that is exactly what happens to a lot of us, isn’t it? You load up your cart with delicious fresh looking fruits and veggies but by the end of the week you’ve only made it through half of them and the rest are already rotting. It is not just you and I, my dear reader! It is not even just our wasteful American culture. It is a problem across the globe.

This image is from a campaign in Brazil to raise awareness and decrease waste. Artist Mihail Aleksandrov designed this handout, please click on the image for a larger version.

So, we know there is a problem with keeping the produce we buy.. we know eating more fruits and veggies as opposed to meat and dairy is more environmentally friendly.. we know eating more fruits and veggies is better for our health… we know we are just wasting money and perfectly good food this way.. so what do we do? How do we save money on food and help it last longer? There are a couple of strategies here:

1. Buy locally grown produce
2. Start a garden
3. Buy less more often
4. Store your produce properly and strategically

1. Buy local: Buying locally grown produce will not only support your local economy and farmers, it will also save you money. With the huge cost of fuel transporting produce across continents is not practical and will be reflected in the price of the food. Buying local eliminates that cost and allows you to get fresher fruits and veg that will in turn last longer when properly stored. Also, by buying local you are saving the environment from all of that extra pollution that would have incurred during transport. Double whammy! Here are some local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) groups that will provide locally grown/organic produce as well as some farmer’s markets in the Phoenix area.

• Crooked Sky Farms: local organic produce with several pick up locations in the Valley
• Downtown Phoenix Public Market - Local produce, and other goods by various local vendors.
• Tolmachoff Farms – Glendale, pick your own produce.
• Tucson Community Supported Agriculture.
• Agua Linda Community Supported Agriculture.
• Flagstaff Community Supported Agriculture.
• Prescott College Community Supported Agriculture.

2. Start a Garden: I know you may think this is not practical for most of us and that nothing will grow in the desert but you are wrong. With the proper techniques you can grow all kinds of great stuff here. Even with limited space or poor soil you can make a great container garden. We will be doing some more posts here once we get our garden going. We do not have green thumbs by any means but it can and will be done! Now is not the best time to start a garden but you could start getting your soil in shape and at least start dreaming, take a class or two from the Urban Farm and get some organic seeds. Growing your own produce allows you to eat it when you feel like it, you can cut lettuce off as you need it for tonight’s salad and it will continue to grow. There is nothing better than a home grown organic tomato and you can just pick them at their peak. You can harvest a couple of onions, beets, turnips, etc as needed and they will be the freshest and most affordable you can get!

3. Buy less more often: We are all busy people but making time for an extra grocery trip during the week can mean the difference between wasting 1/3 of what you buy and making good use of it. Try making a menu for the week and plot out what you need on your grocery list. If you can break that into two or more trips (assuming you do not live a great distance from the grocer) and make your second trip once you have used up your first batch of goodies it just makes sense that you will have fresh produce more often and less chance for waste.

4. Store your produce properly and strategically: As plants decay they give off ethylene gas. Some more than others, and some are sensitive to it (which is why if you have an unripe avocado you can place it in a paper bag with an apple and it will quickly ripen). With that in mind you should only store certain fruit and veg together, some is better suited to the fridge while others are best left on the counter, some in a cool dry pantry while herbs and asparagus are best stored like fresh cut flowers, just snip the ends and put them in some water in a glass.

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