The first zero-waste restaurant in New York: Rhodora explains how to do it
It has not been easy, because in this project it is not only contemplated how the products are grown and packaged, but also how they are delivered to the restaurant which in fact receives the raw materials by bicycle.
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The Rhodora wine bar in New York has become the world's first zero-waste restaurant. The Oberon group, owner of the restaurant (and many other restaurants in the Big Apple) has invested over $ 50,000 and 10 months of work to make the restaurant as environmentally friendly as possible and change the neighborhood in which it is located.
In Rhodora there are no bins or bags for rubbish, disposable objects are prohibited and all the material is recyclable and compostable. It is forbidden to send something to landfills, a difficult and unworkable ban for most shops or restaurants on the planet: but thanks to a widespread search for suppliers and producers sensitive to this topic, it seems that Rhodora has achieved this goal. It has not been easy, because in this project it is not only contemplated how the products are grown and packaged, but also how they are delivered to the restaurant which in fact receives the raw materials by bicycle.
The investment brought a cardboard shredder into the kitchen that transforms the wine boxes into compost and a washing system that converts cooking salt into soap. As for difficult-to-recycle materials such as plastics needed in a restaurant or rubber products, Rhodora has relied on Terracycle, a New Jersey company well known in the United States for providing these solutions.
Compost is used to fertilize the garden that is located outside of Rhodora and it is obtained thanks to the wine cardboard, the old or worn paper menus and the leftover food of the customers.
The New York Times interviewed Henry Rich, the owner of the restaurant, who explains how “You have to redesign the way you think of a restaurant to achieve this result. The hope is to be able to inspire our colleagues and customers of the restaurant. The philosophy that led us to want a zero-waste solution must affect the whole surrounding neighborhood ".
Rhodora Wine Bar
197 Adelphi St, Brooklyn, NY 11205, United States
tel. +1 718-233-9134
rhodorabk.com
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