How Canada's restaurants can meet the sustainability challenge

Sustainability is one of the key buzzwords that every business likes to embrace. After all, if it can show to its customers that it cares about the environment, that is sure to be a plus that will help attract and retain customers. It can also be an important selling point in its marketing and social media activities. 

It is a trend the food industry has not been able to ignore. In some parts of the world, overfishing has been a huge sustainability issue, while many people are concerned about food miles and the use of plastic. 

The issue has been highlighted this week by Prime Pubs, with the chain outlining how it is taking steps to be greener in ways that will be immediately evident to customers. 

It has announced that the various pub labels in the chain, including Fionn MacCool's, D'Arcy McGee's, Paddy Flaherty's and Tír nan Òg, will all cease to use plastic straws. Paper ones will be available, but only on request. 

Senior vice-president of the chain Grant Cobb said: "Pubs are built on the foundation of community where people come together to create positive, meaningful connections.

"We're constantly looking for creative ways to give back, do the right thing and dig our community roots even deeper. Sustainability is a natural part of that."

The chain has also cut food waste down to a minimum, with items like celery trimmings, tomato tops and bottoms and mint stems being used in cocktails. 

All this certainly is a challenge to the whole food industry, from supermarkets and takeaway outlets to top end restaurants. 

The use of paper straws has been a particularly prominent trend in the drive to get rid of single-use plastic. With the world's oceans being affected by huge amounts of dumped plastic waste that takes centuries to decompose and can harm wildlife if ingested, the need to do something is clear. 

Government's everywhere - including Canada's - can play their part, but it is clearly best for the reputation and ethics of restaurants if they take the first steps themselves. 

As well as plastic straws, there are also items such as plastic bottles, bags and food packaging to consider. 
 
Plastic packaging is a moot point. There are many who will wonder why such materials are used to cover items like fruit and vegetables in supermarkets, for example. The same might be asked about produce delivered to restaurant kitchens. 

However, the other side of that is that such packaging helps preserve freshness and therefore reduces food waste. After all, what is the use of transporting perishable goods across a country - with all the associated emissions - if half of it goes off before it can be used? 

When it comes to transporting food, the issue of food milage is sure to be a concern in a country so geographically large as this one. But where long distances can be avoided - such as using steaks from cattle farmed as near the town or city where the restaurant is based as possible - it will be a feather in the caps of the establishments concerned. In some cases, of course, using local produce will be easy, like in coastal towns where local fishing fleets supply the daily seafood menu. 

Against that, it is unavoidable that some produce will be imported, such as tropical fruits. But if restaurants serving such items can balance that with being as sustainable with food sources and plastic use as possible, they will still strike the right note with environmentally-conscious customers.