Environmental Efforts

We believe that adopting green practices is essential in today's business world.

Our conservation program ranges from reducing water and power consumption to the use of recyclable and biodegradable materials. But at its core is a commitment by everyone at Pasta Pomodoro to lessen the impact on the environment.

What Pasta Pomodoro is doing at the front of the house:

• Slimmed down: we now offers patrons half-size portions of about 20 percent of its entrees -- preventing waste and perhaps reducing the temptation to overindulge.
  
  
• We have reduced the use of plastic and Styrofoam containers, ensuring that most to-go containers are recyclable.
  
  
• Peeled back: The kiddie cups may look like plastic, but they're made from potatoes and are thoroughly biodegradable.
  
  
• We continue our water conservation policy of not serving water automatically, reducing wasted water and the water used to wash the glassware.
  
  
• Taken advantage of San Francisco's ban on plastic shopping bags to offer customers with good-looking -- and re-usable -- to-go tote bags made from recycled 6-pack soda can plastics.
  
  
• Healthy choices. Our menus feature organic salad greens, chemical-free shrimp and organic whole-wheat fusilli.
  
  
• We have made a concerted effort to purchase from suppliers who use less hormones and pesticides, as well as companies that treat their animals humanely. Some of our wines are produced using biodynamic, organic and sustainable farming methods.
  
  
• Switched from plastic to paper menus printed on recycled paper with soy ink.

And behind the scenes:

In San Francisco and elsewhere, we have reduced our contribution to local landfills by 75 percent. How? By participating in green waste programs. In San Francisco, that compost ends up enriching the soil in Napa Valley vineyards.

• Reduced water consumption by running dishwashers only when full -- which also reduces power usage and the amount of detergents that must be removed at water treatment plants.
  
  
• Retrofitted the lighting in all of our restaurants, replacing incandescent bulbs with the most efficient, low-wattage bulbs available. Net savings: 3.75 million kWh over the next five years. The new bulbs also last as much as 20 times longer, so that far fewer will end up in landfills.
  
  
• We have implemented a power-up strategy in all of its restaurants. Lights and other equipment are turned on gradually over the course of a 3-hour period, reducing the drain on the power grid during peak hours. Any lights and equipment not needed throughout the day are turned off.
  
  
• Reduced electricity and gas consumption by pre-setting/pre-programming air conditioning, heating and lighting units -- in our restaurants and our support center -- and committed to purchasing energy-efficient equipment whenever possible.

In 2007, our IT department switched to virtual servers for most of our computer systems -- cutting the number of servers by 75 percent, saving energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. We have also contracted with a new computer printer supplier, which enables it to reuse cassettes many times, sending 860 fewer cartridges each year to toxic waste facilities.