Green Seal Certification Standard Established for Restaurants

Dining out just got greener, thanks to Green Seal’s new GS-46 Environmental Standard for Restaurants and Foodservices, the first standard of its kind. The first Green Seal specification to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), GS-46 addresses the environmental impacts of food, energy and water use, and supplies in the foodservice industry—covering full-service, limited-service, non-commercial, and catering operations—and imparts a framework for reducing waste.

The standard combines metrics, performance, and practice to help restaurants meet their environmental goals and includes an organizational commitment to encourage ongoing efforts. Roughly 945,000 U.S. businesses are eligible for GS-46 certification, which has three tiers: bronze, silver, and gold. Initial fees for certification range from $1,400–$4,500, depending on annual sales and the level of certification; annual monitoring fees that are charged in subsequent years range from $980–$3,150, depending on the same factors