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Laura Abshire: Overseer of NRA’s Sustainability Program

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Name: Laura Abshire
Title: Director of Sustainability Policy and Government Affairs
Organization/Location: National Restaurant Assn./Washington D.C.
Years in Position: 5+ years
Primary Responsibilities: “I view my role as someone who is increasing education around sustainability—monitoring everything around the sustainability space and how it impacts our members.”
Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “The NRA has done a lot of work linking sustainability efforts with restaurateurs and their daily operations. Raising awareness and inspiring action has been a very big accomplishment.”
Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge moving forward: “There is so much more work to be done to educate members on sustainability. The lack of infrastructure for recycling and composting is also an issue. A lot of places want to recycle but the U.S. is lacking in a robust, nationwide infrastructure.”

Laura Abshire

CHICAGO—As Director of Sustainability Policy and Government Affairs for the National Restaurant Assn. (NRA), Laura Abshire leads the NRA’s policy work in the areas of agriculture, energy, sustainability, and trade on both the federal and state level. Additionally, Laura oversees the NRA’s sustainability program, helping restaurant operators undertake environmentally friendly actions that also improve their company’s bottom lines. Laura is also the NRA’s liaison for the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, a joint effort with the Grocery Manufacturers Assn. and Food Marketing Institute, to help reduce and recycle food waste in the retail and foodservice industries.

Being Director of Sustainability Policy and Government Affairs for such a mammoth organization is no small task. NRA members account for 500,000 foodservice establishments, 14.7 million employees, and $798 billion in restaurant sales. Abshire says seven of 10 restaurants are single-unit operations. Abshire works with Jeff Clark, the NRA’s Sustainability Manager, to lead sustainability-related efforts. They are supported by teams of others at the NRA and local level.

Conserve Program Now a Decade Old

At the core of the NRA’s sustainability efforts is its Conserve program. Begun in 2008, Conserve is a broad initiative that helps restaurateurs implement conservation practices. Conserve is where restaurants turn for practical tips, suggestions and resources that reduce their costs and bolster their bottom lines. The Conserve page on the NRA site offers many resources: best practices, blogs, videos, tools and solutions, and news and events. The Best Practices section, for example, includes tips on how to save energy, reduce food waste, deal responsibly with fats, oils and greases, recycle, reduce water consumption and cut fryer impact.

“The Conserve initiative is our sustainability platform and has grown tremendously since 2008,” Abshire says. “We partner with different companies throughout the year.”

It is at the annual NRA show where attendees can see further evidence of the organization’s commitment to sustainability. Within the Kitchen Innovations Awards, for example, sustainability innovations are recognized and rewarded. Also, the NRA Show features an Organic & Natural Pavilion. In addition, there are hundreds of vendors offering products and services to help restaurateurs reduce their environmental impact.

State of the Industry Report

NRA research specifically targets sustainability. Case in point is this year’s “The State of Restaurant Sustainability 2018.” The Association surveyed 500 restaurant owners and operators about their environmental efforts and sustainability opportunities and challenges within their operations. More than 1,000 consumers also were surveyed about the best methods for restaurants to promote sustainability practices to customers.

The results show that restaurants of all types are innovating and making progress. From independent operators to large restaurant chains, the foodservice industry is reducing its energy and water consumption, minimizing waste creation, and connecting with environmentally aware guests.

Abshire says the restaurant industry’s increased focus on sustainability has impressed here. “We became part of the Food Waste Reduction Alliance,” she says. “It was exciting to see the extent to which restaurants were interested.”

Long-Time Interest in Sustainability

Abshire says she has always had an interest in environmental policy and enjoys working with restaurateurs.

Restaurants are really the backbones of local communities,” she says. “Helping them with sustainability efforts is fun.

Before joining the NRA, Laura was the deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas, where she concentrated on energy and environmental and issues he has a juris doctorate and bachelor of arts degree from Louisiana State University.

When asked how important it is for an organization like the NRA to have people focused full time on sustainability, Abshire said, “It is imperative. There is so much going on in this space. Our CEO really cares about this.”

She concluded, “The most important takeaway is that sustainability is here to stay.”

Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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