Why do we need Ocean Friendly Restaurants?

2. EPS foam foodware (cups, plates, 'clamshells', etc.) is a top item found at Surfrider beach cleanups and EPS foam does not biodegrade in our lifetimes. It may photodegrade and/or break into small pieces if littered, which are harder to clean up. Why do we need Ocean Friendly Restaurants? Animals can mistake EPS foam for food or nesting materials and although inexpensive to buy, EPS foam litter can be expensive to clean up. Americans use an estimated 500 million plastic straws every day and restaurants use an average of 5,800 gallons of water per day.

3. OFR History • Beach Friendly Restaurants in Long Beach • OFR in San Diego and Huntington Beach

4. OFR Working Group • Volunteers and Staff • Recurring suggestion to keep criteria simple • Conference call and emails

5. Restaurants participating in the OFR Program MUST follow these three criteria: 1. No expanded polystyrene use (aka Styrofoam). 2. Proper recycling practices are followed. 3. Water conservation efforts such as saving water in a drought, no hosing down outside without capturing the water to reduce urban runoff, and/or proper disposal of FOG (fats, oil and grease) to conserve water and help reduce sewage spills. And choose a minimum of three of these criteria as well: 4. Plastic straws are provided only upon request. 5. Only reusable tableware is used for onsite dining and utensils for to-go food are provided only upon request. 6. No beverages sold in plastic bottles. 7. Discount offered for customers with reusable cup, mug, bag, etc. 8. No plastic bags offered for takeout or to-go orders. 9. Organic, local, and/or vegetarian/vegan food options are offered on a regular basis. All seafood must be a ‘Best Choice’ or ‘Good Alternative’ as defined by Seafood Watch. 10. Energy efficiency efforts are implemented where possible Implement all 10 of the criteria to be recognized as a Platinum Level Ocean Friendly Restaurant!

6. What resources are available?

8. Why we started an Ocean Friendly Restaurant Campaign • Learned of HB campaign at 2014 CA Chapter Conference • Restaurants have the power to greatly reduce their impact on San Diego’s oceans and beaches on many fronts • Styrofoam ban in SD unlikely in next 3-5 years • Engage restaurant owners and managers in conversation about OFR to pave the way for a styrofoam ban

9. But Why Restaurants? • 88% of restaurant goers would view restaurants more positively if they used environmentally friendly take-out containers • 60% of respondents would eat at an OFR over another restaurant that uses styrofoam • *89 Respondents OPPORTUNITY!

10. San Diego Restaurants:What do we know? • 21% use disposable in-house serviceware • 61% use styrofoam or non-recyclable to-go containers • 78% would switch practices if their restaurant was promoted by Surfrider • 63% think a styrofoam ban is no hardship at all • BUT only 38% of respondents (restaurant owners/managers) think their customers care about what type of to-go products they use *59 restaurants in 14 zip codes in SD

11. Mission Statement The Ocean Friendly Restaurants campaign aims to work with the San Diego county restaurant community to institute self-regulated policies that will reduce plastic waste. 

12. What is an Ocean Friendly Restaurant? 3 Required Criteria • No styrofoam use; replacements are recycled, recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable • Only reusable tableware is provided for on-site dining • Proper recycling practices are followed throughout the restaurant

13. What is an Ocean Friendly Restaurant? 6 Optional Criteria (Must Choose 3) • Plastic straws are provided only upon request • Takeout food and beverage containers are recycled, recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable • Takeout bags are not plastic • Takeout bags are not plastic and are provided only upon request, or pickup customers are asked to bring their own takeout bags • Disposable utensils for takeout food are provided only upon request • No beverages sold in plastic bottles

14. Benefits for Restaurants • Certification system = cool sticker in the window • Promotion using Surfrider brand and reach • Promotional Events • Website • Social Media • Email Blasts to 17,000 SD County Residents • Discounted pricing on OFR products • Dedicated volunteers

15. Successes • 70+ restaurants signed up since April 2015 • Lots of new and dedicated volunteers • Greater awareness among restaurants about styrofoam in our environment and alternatives to styrofoam • Now scaling outside of SD nationally and internationally • Partner program in Tijuana with a Mexican environmental NGO through EPA grant • Promoted at Global Wave Conference in England last October

16. Snooze AM Eatery Our first OFRs were two Snooze cafes, already doing more than required

17. The Patio and Kitchen 4140 Two Patio restaurants switched to plastic straws and takeout bags only on request

18. Challenges • Smaller restaurants and taco shops that need to make significant changes to comply • Misinformation about styrofoam • Compostable/biodegradable products and knowing what is the most ocean friendly product • Enforcing Compliance • Dealing with food trucks • Vendor price lists hard to compile • national list for bigger discounts • Volunteer motivation - trained many but most don't participate • maybe team up in pairs, or dedicated sign-up day in a community • Lack of resources to develop mobile app

19. Lessons Learned • Do a lot of outreach at the beginning and sign up several restaurants to get on the news • Refine collateral for restaurants • 90% didn't want brochures, table toppers, etc. that we started with • Branded paper bags are a better idea • Restaurant staffs need training • Ideally staff would be ambassadors to public • Suggest developing e-brochure directed at servers

20. Next for OFR in San Diego • Refine criteria based on most ocean friendly products • Start engaging smaller restaurants and taco shops • Discounted or free products, or other incentives • Sign up one known taco shop to prove it is possible • Scale • Work with other Surfrider chapters and organizations that want to implement OFR • Share collateral

21. QUESTIONS?THANK YOU www.surfridersd.org/ofrCynthia@surfridersd.org