The City of Knoxville Waste and Resources Office is pleased to share an opportunity to be a part of our low-waste restaurant certification pilot program, ConServe Knoxville. This AmeriCorps-led program aims to reduce environmental impacts through sustainable initiatives that are good for both businesses and customers, supporting and celebrating restaurants that are committed to providing low-waste dining for the public.
• Reduce waste while increasing customer awareness of waste prevention.
• Educate and support businesses that limit or reduce waste to the landfill.
• Maintain a website where consumers can find restaurants committed to low-waste practices.
• Be a part of a program that will provide tangible, sustainable results.
• Gain recognition for your restaurant's efforts to reduce waste.
• Be an example and a leader in sustainability in the Southeast.
• Assess your current environmental impact with the ConServe Knoxville program guidelines.
• Make any necessary improvements with support from the ConServe Knoxville team.
• Become certified through our easy certification process.
• Publicize your participation with a window cling, inclusion on the City of Knoxville's ConServe Knoxville webpage, and with digital certification on your website and social media outlets.
As a community over the last 10 years, Knoxville has significantly increased the amount of waste diverted from our landfills. Almost 45% of the City's residential waste stream is recycled or mulched for reuse. Much of this progress can be attributed to the more than 28,000 households opting to participate in single-stream recycling collection, which makes recycling easy by eliminating the need to separately sort paper, plastics, and metal products. Additionally, about a third of our recycled material comes from those dedicated recyclers who take their materials to one of our five Drop-off Recycling Centers.
To continue improving our City's environment for our current and future residents, the ConServe Knoxville Program supports and promotes restaurants that are committed to minimizing waste sent to the landfill. The program incorporates proven methodologies that have been used in numerous cities across the U.S., passionate and qualified personnel, and a highly responsive support system to help you meet your goals.
To become ConServe Knoxville certified, businesses must:
1. Fill out an application or request one.
2. Meet the general requirements. These requirements are the most critical for a substantial reduction in waste.
3. Practice at least six of the flexible requirements. These requirements provide the flexibility to meet the sustainability standards in a way that works for your business.
4. Schedule a walk-through date with the ConServe Knoxville team. This quick but important step helps us maintain the integrity of the program and ensure the value of your certification. Certification typically takes 30-60 minutes, letting you quickly get back to the business of running a business.
5. Schedule an optional complimentary workshop to educate your staff about the program, waste-reduction, and recycling. Let us help you ensure success by educating your whole team.
6. Receive your certificate of approval, window cling, and digital logo for display. Appear on the City of Knoxville's ConServe Knoxville webpage. Let your customers know about your participation and highlight the positive impact you are making on your community.
*Certification will be granted for one year. After the first year another walk-through will be scheduled to ensure adherence to the program. If maintained, the certification will be granted for a three-year term.
| FINANCIAL AND OTHER BENEFITS |
• Free marketing and publicity
• Reducing waste can help lower operational costs
• Attract and maintain an ever-growing number of sustainably minded customers
• Increase morale and satisfaction among staff
Conserve Knoxville is ready to support and highlight your business as you establish a low-waste program. We hope to help you reduce your contribution to our landfill, as well as recognize your existing waste-reduction efforts.
If you have questions about our program, feel free to contact ConServe Knoxville Coordinator at your convenience by email at
[email protected] or by phone at 865-215-2872.
Thank you.
ConServe Knoxville Team, City of Knoxville, Waste and Resource Department