Life

EARTH MONTH, EVERY MONTH

Even though April is officially dedicated to planet Earth, we think every month should be Earth Month, so we’re continuing the sustainability conversation this May. Now more than ever, businesses are focused on their environmental impact. But do you know everything your neighbors are doing to go green? Discover some of the measures your favorite shops and restaurants are taking to protect our plant, recycle our resources, and make moves towards more Earth-friendly practices.

WASTE LESS, FEED MORE

Montgomery County restaurants including BIBIBOP Asian Grill, City Perch, BurgerFi, Canopy By Hilton, Kusshi Sushi and soon-to-be-open Poke Dojo have all pledged to donate unused food to Manna Food Center to contribute to their Food Recovery Program. Food items that would otherwise be discarded are now delivered to Manna weekly to feed some of the 63,000 individuals in the county experiencing food insecurity and hunger.

AT THE SOURCE

Sustainably-sourced menu items are becoming the standard for many of your go-to restaurants. Le Pain Quotidien, sweetgreen, Chop’t, and Luke’s Lobster feature responsibly-caught or wild-caught seafood like shrimp, steelhead, salmon, and lobster. City Perch and Jaleo Bethesda include on their menus fresh greens and veggies grown on their neighborhood’s rooftops with Up Top Acres. Terrain Café features locally-sourced produce, dairy and meats in its dishes in efforts to support local farmers and cut down on fuel emissions.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Did you know many businesses are rewarding customers who join in on their recycling efforts? At Follain and PR at Partners, you’ll score 10% off your next purchases when you bring in empty product containers to be recycled. The same goes for textile recycling – bring in any used clothing to receive $10 off your next $100+ purchase at the North Face or 15% off your next purchase at H&M.

To aid in reduction of single use plastics, LebTav, SummerHouse Santa Monica, Stella Barra, Sweetgreen and more have replaced plastic straws with paper and biodegradable options. Canopy Hotel features a water-filling station that has contributed to less plastic water bottle usage. Even Starbuck’s has introduced new straw-free sippable lids and plans to phase out all plastic straws by 2020.

POWERED UP

From single store to entire shopping center, alternative energies are making moves to reduce fossil fuel emissions and air pollution created by traditional sources. At Luke’s Lobster’s Bethesda Row location, the entire shop is powered by wind energy. Congressional Plaza’s rooftop solar panels produce clean, renewable energy on site for the center, and Pike & Rose’s solar garage canopy produces 92% of the garage’s energy.

Up for a challenge? Choose one way to change your habits this month — whether it’s providing your own reusable water bottle, carrying a stainless steel straw, going meatless on Mondays, or installing solar panels for your home. Share your efforts with us on social using #BeSustainABLE.