It’s a new year and a new decade, which means it is time to start thinking about a better future. If you are anything like the team here at Thistle, you have your sights set on making 2020 your most sustainable year yet. Keep reading to see how a few small changes can help us all live more sustainably in 2020 and beyond...
Plant-Based Nourishment for the Body and the Earth
There are about 7 billion people sharing the same planet. Unfortunately, around 3 billion of them already don’t have enough food. With the population expected to grow to 10 billion within the next three decades, now is the time to start (if you haven’t already!) making changes to ensure that our farms can feed future generations. Switching to a more plant-focused diet will significantly reduce the depletion of the animal agriculture industry on our planet. In fact, the global meat and dairy industries alone create more greenhouse gasses than the whole European Union—that’s more pollution creation than that of 28 countries!
Plant-based agriculture requires less water, less land usage, and creates a fraction of the greenhouse gasses of animal agriculture. If everyone started eating a plant-based diet, we could lower greenhouse gas emissions created in the food production industry by up to 70%!
Local Business for a More Sustainable World
Buying local is another simple way to live more sustainably. When you shop at large grocery chains, many of their products have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles in trucks or planes. These trips produce carbon dioxide emissions that can stay in the atmosphere for up to thousands of years.
Buying local allows you to dramatically reduce your environmental footprint by reducing the carbon costs associated with food transportation. It is also a great way to meet and support local farmers that grow fresh, high-quality produce! At Thistle, not only do we work with local farmers and artisans, but we also design our menus around seasonal local produce to decrease our dependence on transporting food.
Less Food Waste for a Cleaner Planet
According to Feeding America, about 20% of national landfills are made up of food waste. Santa Clara County alone sends a shocking 34 million pounds of food waste to landfills every single year.
Simply put: food waste creates a huge strain on the environment. But it does not have to be this way. If all of us made small changes to the way we think about food, we can significantly decrease the amount of food waste created. The next time you go out to eat and don’t finish your food, ask your server for a takeout box and use the extra for a second meal instead of sending it to the trash. Better yet, bring your own food container to reduce your impact even further! Prepping your meals is another great way to minimize wasted food and chances are it'll help you eat healthier as well.
In the last year, Thistle has managed to cut its food waste in half by streamlining operations, working with local partners such as Berkeley Food Pantry and LA Food Finders to donate surplus meals, and partnering with companies like Bainbridge Beverage Company to donate our juice pulp to feed farm animals.
Thistle & Sustainability
From providing easy access to plant-forward meals to sourcing local produce whenever possible, Thistle is devoted to helping everyone work towards a more sustainable future. We are constantly working to reduce our environmental impact—our current priority is researching compostable and reusable containers for our meals.
If you’re looking for ways to cut down on your environmental footprint this new year, we want you to join us! Sign up for a subscription today and get one step closer to a more sustainable 2020.
It’s a new year and a new decade, which means it is time to start thinking about a better future. If you are anything like the team here at Thistle, you have your sights set on making 2020 your most sustainable year yet. Keep reading to see how a few small changes can help us all live more sustainably in 2020 and beyond...
Plant-Based Nourishment for the Body and the Earth
There are about 7 billion people sharing the same planet. Unfortunately, around 3 billion of them already don’t have enough food. With the population expected to grow to 10 billion within the next three decades, now is the time to start (if you haven’t already!) making changes to ensure that our farms can feed future generations. Switching to a more plant-focused diet will significantly reduce the depletion of the animal agriculture industry on our planet. In fact, the global meat and dairy industries alone create more greenhouse gasses than the whole European Union—that’s more pollution creation than that of 28 countries!
Plant-based agriculture requires less water, less land usage, and creates a fraction of the greenhouse gasses of animal agriculture. If everyone started eating a plant-based diet, we could lower greenhouse gas emissions created in the food production industry by up to 70%!
Local Business for a More Sustainable World
Buying local is another simple way to live more sustainably. When you shop at large grocery chains, many of their products have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles in trucks or planes. These trips produce carbon dioxide emissions that can stay in the atmosphere for up to thousands of years.
Buying local allows you to dramatically reduce your environmental footprint by reducing the carbon costs associated with food transportation. It is also a great way to meet and support local farmers that grow fresh, high-quality produce! At Thistle, not only do we work with local farmers and artisans, but we also design our menus around seasonal local produce to decrease our dependence on transporting food.
Less Food Waste for a Cleaner Planet
According to Feeding America, about 20% of national landfills are made up of food waste. Santa Clara County alone sends a shocking 34 million pounds of food waste to landfills every single year.
Simply put: food waste creates a huge strain on the environment. But it does not have to be this way. If all of us made small changes to the way we think about food, we can significantly decrease the amount of food waste created. The next time you go out to eat and don’t finish your food, ask your server for a takeout box and use the extra for a second meal instead of sending it to the trash. Better yet, bring your own food container to reduce your impact even further! Prepping your meals is another great way to minimize wasted food and chances are it'll help you eat healthier as well.
In the last year, Thistle has managed to cut its food waste in half by streamlining operations, working with local partners such as Berkeley Food Pantry and LA Food Finders to donate surplus meals, and partnering with companies like Bainbridge Beverage Company to donate our juice pulp to feed farm animals.
Thistle & Sustainability
From providing easy access to plant-forward meals to sourcing local produce whenever possible, Thistle is devoted to helping everyone work towards a more sustainable future. We are constantly working to reduce our environmental impact—our current priority is researching compostable and reusable containers for our meals.
If you’re looking for ways to cut down on your environmental footprint this new year, we want you to join us! Sign up for a subscription today and get one step closer to a more sustainable 2020.
