introduction
The first global restaurant chain to carbon footprint every menu item to internationally recognised standards has opened its doors.
Otarian is being developed by India-born billionaire Radhika Oswal after noticing the lack of good quality vegetarian fast food restaurants.
The vegetarian chain has already started to open its pilot outlets at five prime locations in London and New York City, with a view to move into other areas of Europe, the USA, as well as Asia and Australia.
At each of these restaurants, alongside each item on the menu, a carbon footprint figure will be displayed together with that of the equivalent meat dish for comparison.
challenge
We were tasked with calculating the carbon footprint of thirty different vegetarian meals, as well as the meat equivalents. This will provide customers with direct figures to demonstrate the carbon savings associated with choosing a vegetarian meal.
The aim is to encourage customers to think about the impact of their food choices on the planet and understand the environmental benefits of reducing meat consumption. Items that represent the biggest carbon savings will be actively promoted to customers.
It is thought that consumers who want to reduce their contribution to climate change can replace a meat dish for a vegetarian meal once or twice a week in the same way they may also take fewer flights or use less energy for heating. The concept is known as 'ecotarianism' - where decisions of diet are made with sustainability in mind.
solution
We carried out comprehensive 'cradle to grave' carbon footprinting, which calculates greenhouse gas emissions from each stage of the products' lifecycles.
This includes sourcing the raw materials for each of 200 ingredients, manufacturing, packing, transporting, cooking and disposal of the product.
The calculations were performed according to PAS 2050 - the UK Government's widely accepted carbon footprint specification.
All aspects of Otarian's menus and operations have been designed with minimising carbon impact in mind.
This includes Carbon Saving Combos - set meals that maximise carbon savings - which save at least three kilograms of carbon dioxide compared to equivalent meat-based dishes.
outcome
The carbon footprints for all menu choices and the meat equivalents were carried out ready for the opening of Otarian's first restaurant in New York. We will also be providing continued measurement to identify further carbon reduction opportunities.
Following the carbon footprinting of its menu, Otarian has now been selected by environmental think tank the World Resources Institute (WRI) as one of 60 businesses worldwide to test a new standard set to become the most widely accepted international carbon footprinting standard.
We will provide technical help to Otarian throughout the pilot phase of the standard by assessing the 'cradle to grave' carbon footprint of the menu items according to the specific guidelines of the new standard.
For most organisations, a significant proportion of their environmental impact comes from their supply chain. Otarian is now leading the way in managing its supply chain to deliver real environmental benefits that customers can quantify.
