Regardless of the initial motivation, what makes all of these disparate programs successful—and what ultimately leads to their continued adoption—is their value to the mission of each organization. In most cases, that comes down to return on investment.

While saving the planet or cleaning the river … or just preserving a few cubic meters of landfill may be a noble pursuit, there is no escaping the hard truth that one way or another, every restaurant, supermarket, delicatessen, bakery, dining facility and C-store is an economic enterprise. For any initiative to succeed, it has to make economic sense.

Fortunately, new technologies mean that the interests of sustainability and productivity—not to mention food safety—are not as much in conflict as in years past. Many operators are learning that sustainability is not only good for the environment, but it’s also good for business.

Through the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability, Hobart provides a resource and a forum dedicated to supporting the sustainability efforts of the foodservice industry through thought leadership, continued research and development, and the sharing of best practices that make food retail locations and foodservice facilities alike more efficient, more sustainable and more profitable.