Carbon Takes a Holiday

WINNER: BON APPETIT MGT. CO.

ENTRY: LOW CARBON DIET DAY

THE BIG IDEA: Sustainability is a huge corporate goal for Bon Appetit and parent Compass Group North America, and Low Carbon Diet Day was designed to highlight both the company's efforts and to educate Bon Appetit customers on how different diet choices affect the environment.

The event was held on April 22, 2008, a year after Bon Appetit began implementing its Low Carbon diet initiatives in its kitchens. The goal: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the highest impact areas of its operations by 25 percent over three years.

On that day, all 400 Bon Appetit cafes nationwide menued dishes emphasizing reduced carbon emissions, along with point-of-sale signs explaining the choices. For example, the day's menu.

Bon Appetit also unveiled its Low Carbon Diet Calculator on computer terminals set up in the cafes. The interactive program calculates the carbon impact of different meal choices, giving customers a tool to determine environmentally beneficial meal choices for themselves.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

Helene York
director-Bon Appétit Management Co. Foundation

Maisie Greenawalt
Vice president

Katherine Kwon, MS, RD
communications project manager

Brad Thompson
field marketing manager

Chung Lee
data analyst