Vancouver's Burgerville chain goes greener beginning on October 23, 2007.

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On October 23, 2007, Vancouver's Burgerville chain announces that the firm will expand its pilot composting and recycling program in an effort to redirect 85 percent of restaurant-generated waste.

Company president Tom Mears said, “We all must take responsibility for reducing the waste we produce. Our four-month-long pilot program proved that a passionate commitment from our employees and small, sensible adjustments to the daily routine will allow us to successfully launch this recycling model into all our restaurants” (Press Release).

On July 25, 2008, Treehugger, an international online media outlet “dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream,” featured Vancouver’s Burgerville fast-food chain in an article headlined, “How about a Burger and Some Renewable-Resource Packaging With Those Fries?” Treehugger’s April Streeter wrote, “Burgerville seems to be putting some pretty cool best-practice ideas out there for the rest of the fast-food industry ... . (Burgerville) wants to eventually keep 85 percent of its waste out of the waste stream via source reduction, recycling and composting” (Treehugger website).

By September 2008, the company’s Jack Graves said, “We have reduced our landfill impact by about 50 percent in the past two years; we will do more” (Gregg Herrington interview with Jack Graves).

Sources:
April Streeter, “How About a Burger and Some Renewable-Resource Packaging With Those Fries?” Treehugger website accessed August 7, 2008 (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/fast-food-with-compostable-packaging.php); “Burgerville Rolls out Composting and Recycling Program to All 39 Restaurants,” Burgerville Press Release, October 23, 2007, Burgerville website accessed September 23, 2008 (http://www.burgerville.com/); Gregg Herrington interview with Jack Graves, September 5, 2008, Vancouver, Washington.

By Gregg Herrington, October 04, 2008

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