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Zero Waste Capital District is committed to supporting all areas of our community, including our local restaurants. There are many ways that restaurants can support sustainability in their operations.
Zero Waste Capital District is committed to supporting all areas of our community, including our local restaurants. There are many ways that restaurants can support sustainability in their operations.
Green Restaurant Association - An international nonprofit organization that provides resources to restaurants to green their operations.
Green America - Works to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society through consumer education and mobilization, a Green Business Network, and the Center for Sustainability Solutions.
Green Guide Booklet for Restaurants - A resource from the Southern California Gas Company, which includes several tips and resources from sustainable purchasing, water efficiency, reusable ware, and more.
Beyond Plastics Publications - Beyond Plastics has many resources for food service, including guides on how to reduce single-use plastic.
CET Rethink Food Waste NY - Includes many resources for business to reduce waste and improve sustainable practices.
10 Restaurant Sustainability Practices You Can Implement Immediately - Check out this helpful article from GloriaFood.com!
Download our Restaurant Infographic "9 Ways Your Food Service Can Go Green"
The attached infographic brings you great ideas on how you can make your restaurant or food service business more sustainableand protect our planet.
Don't forget to use the embedded links to discover extra information and resources.
IMPORTANT LEGAL REMINDERS:
Albany County has a PLASTIC STRAW AND UTENSILS LAW in effect:
PLASTIC STRAWS are only allowed to be given when asked for by a customer. Better yet, provide paper or other fiber alternatives. See the law here (Local Law No. 1 for 2019): https://www.albanycounty.com/home/showpublisheddocument/13356/637420705226270000
PLASTIC UTENSILS are only allowed to be given when requested by the customer. Food service establishments may make non-plastic alternatives available or may make any type of straw/utensils available in “self-service” stations.
New York State Waste Reduction Laws in effect:
PAPER NOT PLASTIC BAGS: While food service establishments are still allowed to use plastic for take-out food, we strongly recommend switching to paper and/or encouraging customers to bring their own bags. https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/bag-waste-reduction-law
NO POLYSTYRENE: The use of Polystyrene food containers and loose fill packaging is prohibited in New York State.
https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/go-foam-free
Below is a handout now available and to be distributed in Albany County based on the above regulations and requirements (7/24/25) The second page has translations in Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic.
Too Good To Go App
Albany Times Union. By Lilli Iannella, Staff Writer Aug 11, 2025
The app has recently gained traction in the Capital Region, as Too Good to Go started adding more partners earlier this summer, said the company’s U.S. public relations manager Molly Sposato. Its official launch in the Albany area will occur at the end of August, Sposato said. On Friday morning, more than 30 restaurants in the greater Capital Region and northern Hudson Valley had food listed on the app.
While it’s newer to the Capital Region, Too Good to Go was founded in 2015 and aims to combat food waste. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, around a third of food is wasted across the nation. Food waste in landfills contributes to more methane emissions than any other landfilled materials, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the emissions contribute to global warming.
The app allows users to select from a variety of businesses near their area offering “surprise bags,” which are reserved earlier in the day for a later pickup time. What customers get in the bags depends on the day and what food the restaurant has left, which is typically available for pickup at the end of the day.
The only other programs in the Capital Region similar to Too Good to Go are food banks and pantries, said Amanda Jurgelon, a Zero Waste Board member. Given how widespread online ordering has become, Jurgelon thinks platforms like Too Good to Go will continue to impact local communities, from fighting food waste to food insecurity.
“In this age and day, things are changing. I think we need to put more of an emphasis on these apps,” Jurgelon said. “When you use an app that allows you to do something mobile-y, it kind of takes the stigma away and allows for members to use these resources that otherwise wouldn’t be utilized.”
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