Mildred’s Grill Offers Environmentally Friendly Food Service Products

In yet another step to make Grandfather Mountain greener, Mildred's Grill is using new products in the restaurant. The restaurant now serves in 100 percent compostable and biodegradable dinnerware including forks, spoons, knives and take out containers.

The products come from the “Harvest Collection” line come from Genpak, a food service packaging industry located in Glens Falls, N.Y. The supplies are produced from naturally occurring, annually renewable resources such as corn, rice and wheat that can completely compost and biodegrade. An annually renewable resource is one that is annually sustainable and harvested within a one year growing season.

All of the products are made from resin containing polylactic acid, proteins, starches from potato, wheat or rice along with other bio based material. The items used in Mildred’s Grill are strong, do not weaken when wet and can handle foods that reach temperatures up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

All Harvest Collection products are 100 percent compostable when properly disposed of into a commercially run composting facility, leaving absolutely no chemical residue. They are also 100 percent biodegradable when discarded in landfills, but this process takes a little bit longer since most modern landfills are designed to be moisture free.

Mildred's Grill is also trying to cut down on its use of Styrofoam for the products that are not purchased from Harvest Collection. They now offer cups, coffee cups, plates and ice cream bowls that are biodegradable and are presently looking into purchasing straws that are also environmentally friendly.

"Grandfather Mountain has always been a leader in environmental advocacy and education," said Grandfather Mountain's Green Manager Luke Appling. "It is our responsibility to not just teach others but to follow green business standards ourselves."

Since this technology is still relatively new, these products do cost Grandfather Mountain a little bit more than traditional plastic products. However, everyone agrees that the end result of the products makes the venture entirely worthwhile.

"Grandfather has started many new projects this year since the team from Appalachian State University conducted an energy survey on the Mountain," said Grandfather Mountain President Crae Morton. "Photovoltaic solar panels are being placed behind our animal habitats and we should be selling energy back to the power company by the end of the year, we are going to be changing a lot of light bulbs on the Mountain to increase efficiency and we are looking into a destratifier, fan that blows warm air downward, for the Nature Museum.

"Most of what we are doing will pay for itself. A couple of the elements to the greening of the Mountain will cost us to implement, but it's the right thing to do," Morton said.

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