Beyond Zero Waste Zones

Beyond bringing community together with common recycling goals, the Zero Waste Zones program is a catalyst for industry leaders to collaborate on refining and expanding sustainable best practices within the corporate and local government systems.  The founding ZWZ Participants long ago achieved the basic ZWZ Criteria and are ready to evolve standards to the next dimension of industry best practices.

The group meeting @ ATR offices

In honor of National Restaurant Association senior editor Elissa Elan's Atlanta visit ZWZ Champion Patrick Cuccaro, Affairs to Remember general manager and GA Restaurant Association Chair, hosted a powerful gathering at their corporate offices on Friday, April 06. Along with Elissa and Patrick, Ei Chair Scott Seydel, Atlanta Airport director of asset management and sustainability Michael Cheyne, Ei founder Holly Elmore, GRA membership manager Ryan Costigan and ATR staff Travis Taylor & Sandy Rothstein participated in the roundtable-style luncheon.

Elissa's questions were the catalyst for lively conversation that ran the gamut from program | project status to the importance of extracting glass from recycling streams to the role sustainability plays in corporate decision making, to name a few topics. Existing relationships found more depth and new bonds were formed among industry leaders.

Patrick & Michael

One of the discussion highlights was Michael's overview of the Airport's Green Acres-Atlanta, an urban farm transforming garbage into green, a project in the exploration stage.  It is thrilling to know the City of Atlanta is taking the proactive approach for landfill diversion of valuable materials.

From before the formal begninnings, Patrick played a foundational role in the ZWZ development and the evolution of Elemental Impact.  Michael and the Airport team are instrumental in the Sustainable Food Court Initiative success. The luncheon was the perfect opportunity for Michael and Patrick to meet and understand the power underlying their synergies. 

The amazing creme brulee

Chef Ahmad Nourzad prepared an amazing, locally sourced lunch. For ATR, local produce includes the bounty from their on-site gardens. Even the iced black tea came from a South Carolina tea plantation. The creme brulee finale was the cuisine star - see the album picture for its complete description. 

The Ei FB album, 04-06-12 Powerful ZWZ Meeting, includes pictures from the luncheon.

Thank you Patrick for your generosity of spirit and hospitality. ATR's offices are the perfect ambiance for powerful gatherings such as the luncheon yesterday.  Stay tuned as the luncheon served as a launch pad for yet to be discovered initiatives and projects.