Our PEACE framework gives you confidence to pursue sustainability.
Below you’ll find information on many sustainability topics, but the overriding theme is making it:
Practical: Sustainability needs to be actionable! We provide toolkits, checklists, and step-by-step guidance.
Economical: We aim to include the selling points and business case of sustainability initiatives.
Approachable: There's too much blaming and shaming. We want you to feel good about the next step, not bad for the previous ones.
Celebrated: We applaud every plate of food donated, every email you didn’t print, every day you take public transportation, and every time you show up to learn. We elevate and amplify those doing good, no matter how small their efforts.
Enjoyable: Sustainability is an uphill battle. We can't change that, but as we climb the mountain, we want to experience growth, comradery, fun, enlightenment, inspiration, and joy. We emphasize teamwork and discovery.
Sustainability is a journey. We hope our content serves as guide and encouragement!
Browse all content below or click on a theme to read blogs on those topics and to learn more about our services and courses in these areas.
Blogs on leadership, empowerment, reporting, green teams, staff education, and the business case.
Blogs on waste prevention and reduction - both food and materials - and circular economy.
Blogs on sustainable procurement and responsible sourcing, supplier diversity, and other related topics.
Blogs on social issues such as supplier diversity, human trafficking, community engagement, etc.
Tips and ideas for environmental initiatives for buildings and daily operations to reduce your footprint.
Blogs on various topics related to sustainability and social impact in food supply chains.
ALL BLOGS
Visions of Synergy and Sustainability
In this interview, Joan D. Plisko, PhD shares her experience leading an organization through the process of pursuing an ambitious certification - the Fitwel designation. It starts with a vision, supported with a business case and a plan. And it takes persistence to keep everyone’s eyes on the vision and see it through.
Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder
In this blog, I highlight a great conversation with someone who knows a thing or two about ugly produce. Sure we all know we should be willing to eat them to reduce food waste but it’s not always that simple when you’re facing the unspoken rules and unwritten policies governing commercial kitchens.
Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking
January is Human Trafficking Awareness month so in this blog we share links to a few recommended resources for learning what you can do to prevent and combat this atrocity. Also included is a link to a recorded session on the topic.
The Tapestry of Sustainability in an Organization
In this blog, I summarize key takeaways from an interview with Raquel Noboa, an expert on hospitality sustainability and green teams. We discussed best practices for making sustainability into everyone’s role, including integrating it into job descriptions and other HR processes.
HOTEL|KITCHEN BALTIMORE
In 2018, Astrapto led a food waste reduction initiative in Baltimore, Maryland. This project, sponsored by World Wildlife Fund, and thanks to the leadership of the Baltimore Convention Center, resulted in significant food waste reduction efforts and new, creative partnerships to improve food sustainability in Baltimore events.
BRIEF Approach to Next Level Sustainability
Sometimes, the team that got you to the championship is not the one that can bring home the trophy. This is a well-understood phenomenon in entrepreneurship – the visionary who started the company struggles to deal with the operational complexity of growth and scaling. The same may be true for your sustainability program; it may stall out at the current level of expertise and development.
Selling sustainability internally? Get a translator.
Have you ever listened to two people in a heated debate, only to detect they are actually arguing the same point!? Why does it happen? There are many reasons but one is language. Based on our culture and background, there may be nuances in the words or the emphasis that make me hear something different than what you hear, even if the fundamental message is the same.
Lack of demand or lack of awareness?
I write about the business case for sustainability. Rather than bury the lede, I’ll come right out with it. As an advocate for sustainability benchmarks, I wish the study I reference in this blog showed a clear consumer preference for them, but it does not. I chose to write this anyway, because a critical element of developing a case is to identify weaknesses and obstacles, so we can develop strategies to overcome them.
Incubate a Buy Local Strategy
Let's say a hotel GM wants to better support his local community and a local social entrepreneur, Jennifer, has a business that offers flexible employment and good benefits to single moms. They partner with local farmers to make blueberry lavender jam and unique sauces. The GM reads an article about Jennifer and wants to replace the national brand of jam he currently offers with one of Jennifer's specialty items. They meet and the rest is history. Of course, it's not actually that simple!
Anything but Luck Achieving the 13th LBC Award
It started more than 10 years prior with a simple question: “Is that all we can do?” That was the pivotal question that lead to Alice Ferguson Foundation receiving the world’s 13th fully certified Living Building designation. Achieving this was anything but luck! In this article hear a synopsis of some milestone moments and see images from this picturesque spot.
Put your money where your word of mouth is.
If you look at the results from the study referenced in this blog, you can see a business case for investing in sustainability certification. It’s not that the certification in and of itself drives positive word of mouth reviews (although it likely will), it is the process and intention that comes with certification that yields benefits guests will see and share!
Overcome Negative Impressions of Sustainability Initiatives
A study showed guests have negative perceptions of three green hotel initiatives: low water pressure, temperature control, and green products. In the reviews analyzed, guests made comments to the effect of “I’m all for saving the environmental, but…” It’s a shame that “green” takes the blame, when it needn’t. Read more about each.
Community and Hospitality Symbiosis: Lessons from Canada
Social enterprises sell products or services to provide assistance and opportunity to disadvantaged populations, such as those formerly incarcerated or recovering from addiction. Hospitality and tourism companies can exponentially increase impact through social procurement and buying local.
Brilliant Mediocrity: 4 & 13
"Better a mediocre idea with brilliant execution..." Sometimes we need to focus on small, mundane actions but do them well, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a blog series with “mediocre ideas” you can perform brilliantly with a bit of effort.
Avoid the Domino Effect with a Prevention Mindset
Many studies focus on what to do with waste once it is created. We need to talk more about PREVENTION! It’s similar to the problem we see in healthcare – a focus on treatment (e.g., drugs, surgery), rather than prevention (healthy diet and exercise).