Burgerville Celebrates Earth Day Every Day
Burgerville works for a greener future
VANCOUVER, Wash., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Burgerville, the iconic chain of quick service restaurants known for its fresh food and its commitment to sustainability, is recognizing Earth Day with recycled bookmarks including information about what you can do for the planet. Children will also receive coloring pages designed by a local Portland-area artist describing Earth Day and the benefits of planting trees in the community.
"Even though we're celebrating Earth Day on April 22, Burgerville's commitment to environmental responsibility is something we practice every day; it's a full-time effort to support our community," said Jack Graves, chief cultural officer for Burgerville. "We strongly believe that sustainability makes sense for our natural environment, but it also is the right path for Burgerville as a business. Our goal is to inspire other companies in our industry to think green and to show that being mindful of the environment doesn't mean profits are sacrificed."
Burgerville's focus on sustainability is been present in all aspects of the company. The company's efforts have already made a significant difference in the Pacific Northwest communities the restaurants serve. Burgerville will continue to implement environmentally responsible practices to lead the way for others. Burgerville's Earth-friendly initiatives include:
-- Recycling and composting: At present, 36 Burgerville restaurants are
participating in the recycling program and 18 restaurants are
participating in a prototype program which incorporates both
composting and recycling. Burgerville aims to move 85 percent of its
waste stream to composting or recycling.
-- Using renewable energy sources: The Holland, Inc., parent company of
Burgerville, buys 100 percent renewable wind power credits equal to
the total energy used in all 39 Burgerville locations and their
corporate headquarters. By using wind power for each of the
restaurants and corporate office, Burgerville avoids adding
17.4 million pounds of CO2 to the region annually. Eliminating this
volume of the harmful greenhouse gas is the equivalent of taking
approximately 1,700 cars off the road or reducing the number of miles
driven in the region by 19 million.
-- Turning cooking oil into biodiesel: In March 2006, The Holland
implemented a program to recycle the used cooking oil from all of its
restaurants. The used cooking oil is picked up by Portland-based MRP
Services and taken to SeQuential Biofuels where the oil is transformed
into methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin (a byproduct) through a
process called transesterification for purchase by the public. Since
the program began, more than 105,000 gallons of cooking oil have been
turned into biodiesel.
About Burgerville
Burgerville, a chain of 39 quick service restaurants located throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, serves guests fresh, great tasting food and from a mission of "serve with love." Burgerville's values extend beyond locally grown berries, all-natural beef, Walla Walla onions, and cage-free eggs. At Burgerville, the commitment to values of fresh, local and sustainable is about helping people and communities thrive. The innovative company, established in 1961, is redefining industry norms by providing affordable health care for hourly employees and their dependents, purchasing wind power equal to their total energy use, converting used trans-fat free cooking oil to biodiesel and implementing comprehensive waste recycling. For more information about Burgerville, please visit http://www.burgerville.com/.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Burgerville
CONTACT: Katherine Verducci of McGrath|Power Public Relations,
+1-408-727-0351, KatherineV@mcgrathpower.com, for Burgerville
Web site: http://www.burgerville.com/
2008-04-17 18:16:08 0339253 PRNEWSWIRE