As part of reaching the goal to become as environmentally friendly as possible, the staff here at Root and Stem worked closely with the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) over the last several months to become designated as a green restaurant and catering company.  We are very excited and honored that the GRA awarded us the top rating designated for greens restaurants on their rating system.   

 

The GRA is a nationally known non-profit organization in Boston that offers convenient and affordable measures for companies to become more environmentally sustainable in their practices.

 

In order to earn the stars in environmental efficiency, restaurants must earn points in the following seven categories; water efficiency, water reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical and pollution reduction. The GRA worked closely with us to become more efficient in all areas.  Craig Currie, one of our co-founders, says he decided to have the company go through the process as part of their mission to statement to provide Washington DC area clients with local, seasonal foods in an environmentally responsible manner with flawless service.

 

Since starting Root and Stem a little over a year ago, we have had a commitment to sourcing locally grown produce and humanely raised animals, along with implementing a recycling program, using eco-friendly disposables and printing materials.

 

Taking these steps from day one made the process of earning three stars as a certified green restaurant much more efficient for us. Because of our intention from day one to be as environmentally efficient as possible, we only had to make some small changes to meet the GRA’s criteria- like changing all the water faucets in the kitchen. Craig is also confident that the investment to earn certification as a green restaurant will pay off in the long run as clients become more environmentally aware. Being awarded three green stars from the Green Restaurant Association serves as an important step towards our goal of becoming the premier Washington DC area green catering business.

 

Courtney Hall Gagnon