WASHINGTON – Food and food waste account for more than 90% of the environmental impact of food services and restaurants. Additionally, Americans throw away 40% of all food produced, making food the number one material sent to landfills. To address this growing concern, Green Seal — a nonprofit organization that was established in 1989 to identify and create sustainable practices — has released a nationwide standard that provides specific guidelines for restaurants and food services to minimize waste and increase efficiency.

The new national standard, GS-55, quantifies a food service operation’s “green-ness” through rigorous criteria that minimize environmental impact in several categories, developed following a pilot program conducted in partnership with the Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition at various Chicago restaurants in 2012. During the pilot study, one restaurant reached 96% diversion of its waste and another minimized waste to just a few gallons per year.

Green Seal develops standards through the life-cycle model, where the product’s environmental impact is charted from the raw materials to the landfill. Foodservice waste can be downsized through composting, food donation, recycling of solid waste and grease, and limiting disposable packaging. Along with the environmental benefits, operations that strive for Green Seal certification typically save money in multiple areas, including utilities, waste management and cleaning supplies.