The City of Boca Raton is launching a new initiative called The Coastal Connection Restaurant Program. The program, sponsored by the City's Office of Sustainability and Recreation Services Department, will be introduced at the Sea Turtle Day Festival at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center on March 2, 2019. This new environmental initiative will recognize restaurants in the community that are making sustainable and eco-friendly changes to benefit our coastal community. Participating restaurants will earn "Sustainability (Sea) Stars" that reflect their level of commitment to the environment through certain actions.
For a restaurant to be recognized and earn a Coastal Connection “sustainability (sea) star,” they must first tackle one main issue impacting the ocean: single-use plastics. To receive a one-star designation, restaurants must alter their practices and materials to be non-plastic and biodegradable and implement the following four actions: provide straws by request only, use reusable tableware for onsite dining, provide only non-plastic take away containers, cups and bags and only provide take away cutlery on request and regularly offer sustainable food choices.
To earn a two- or three-star designation, restaurants must take on other issues impacting the coastal environment and implement actions that address energy and water conservation, night friendly lighting, recycling and sustainable seafood.
The City's goal is to encourage all local restaurants, big and small, to be a part of the Coastal Connection restaurant program and create sustainable efforts in their place of business.
For restaurants interested in becoming a sustainability star(fish) in the community, please visit the Coastal Connection Restaurant Program webpage or contact Lindsey Nieratka, Sustainability Manager at [email protected] or 561-393-7997.
Tune in to Episode 19 - Connecting Our Coastal Community, for more information on the Coastal Connection Restaurant Program and Sea Turtle Day Festival. Visit the city's Boca Behind the Scenes podcast webpage to access previous episodes.
For additional information, read the Palm Beach Post article - Boca to start giving restaurants star ratings for eco-friendliness.
