BOSTON—In recent years, 4 Star Certified Green Restaurants across the country have engaged in a lively competition to secure the esteemed title of the World’s Greenest Restaurant. Chicago’s Uncommon Ground held this title from December 2011 to March 2012, and has continued to make environmental changes across their operations. The 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant has now earned more than 447 GreenPoints based on the rigorous certification standards of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). With more GreenPoints than any restaurant in the world, the GRA has once again crowned Uncommon Ground as the World’s Greenest Restaurant.
“I’m proud to have in our City of Chicago the Greenest Restaurant in the country,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Uncommon Ground is a great example of what our city can do and what our country can do—use water and energy more efficiently, grow more sustainable food, while boasting the world’s most sustainable businesses.”
More Than 100 Green Steps
Uncommon Ground continues to make progress by taking 132 environmental steps in the categories of food, water, waste, energy, chemicals, disposables and building materials, including:
• Near Zero Waste Restaurant: While the average restaurant in America generates 100,000 pounds of trash each year, Uncommon Ground has implemented full-scale recycling and composting programs to divert 95 percent of its waste from landfills.
• Energy Conservation: The 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant has earned more than 156 GreenPoints in the environmental category of Energy alone by updating 100 percent of its lighting to more sustainable LED, CFL and T8 Lamps, using high-efficiency equipment, producing renewable energy on-site, and much more.
• Sustainable Food: Uncommon Ground consistently sources sustainable food, as 71 percent of their food purchases are vegan or vegetarian, and 24 percent of their food purchases come from within 300 miles—including the restaurant’s own certified organic sidewalk and rooftop farms.
“Uncommon Ground is an inspiration for the restaurant industry,” says Michael Oshman, the CEO and founder of the Green Restaurant Association. “It was just a year ago that we crowned Uncommon Ground as the World’s Greenest Restaurant, and they continue to push the fold even further. Uncommon Ground has motivated restaurants across the country to take that extra step to become more sustainable—from sourcing truly local food and composting organic waste, to taking steps to save energy and water. If every restaurant followed Uncommon Ground’s environmental leadership, the impact would be enormous.”
Click here to learn more about the green steps Uncommon Ground has taken.
