Foam Engineers attended a Green Dining Crawl with the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the USGBC.
Foam Engineers, insulation contractors, are committed to sustainable and green building practices. We are a member of the Missouri Gateway chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). One of the top chapters in the nation, the gateway chapter meets monthly to discuss different issues and create awareness and support for green building practices. In June, Foam Engineers attended the monthly meeting which featured a dining crawl. Maplewood, Missouri’s Special Business District was recently named the nation’s first Green Dining District! The GDA (Green Dining Alliance) handed down this certification.
Attendees of the meeting learned about the GDA and their goals for establishments. They work one on one with restaurants to promote practices of recycling, reducing, and composting food waste. They also work on adding facility energy efficiency, sourcing sustainable & local food, cleaning supplies, and more.
The crawl was hosted by Shlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, one of the certified restaurants. At the event, local Green Dining Alliance food vendors came to offer samples and showcase their delicious dishes. Then a walking tour took off to visit several of the establishments. Store owners shared the triumphs and challenges that came with transitioning to more sustainable practices.
Foam Engineers applauds this effort to bring sustainability to new heights! To learn more about the Green Dining District, follow this link: http://www.greendiningalliance.org/2014/05/first-green-dining-district/
The event was hosted at Shlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, Missouri. Shlafly participates with the GDA and even has its own garden, where they grow vegetables and other food used in their dishes.
The Baker at Great Harvest shares his craft and experience with using sustainable practices. They support family owned farms and grind fresh wheat every morning. The fresh bread samples were amazing!
We got to sample these tasty treats at Kakao Chocolates! Kakao uses egg whites for their marshmallows, but doesn't need the yolks. They trade the yolks to Pie Oh My (another GDD business) for more egg whites so nothing goes to waste.
Brian, the owner of Kakao educated the group on how chocolate is made. One of their largest sustainability obstacles is combatting the summer heat, as chocolate melts easily.