HalfOffGreen.com Supports GreenPlate

PRESS RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 19, 2009

HalfOffGreen.com Making It Easier to Dine at Atlanta’s Best “Green Restaurants”

(ATLANTA) Diners all over the metro area are seeking something more when they decide where to eat and where to buy.  In addition to wanting good food at good prices, more Atlantans want to know they are supporting restaurants that support their community and care about the environment.  That’s why more Atlantans have started visiting HalfOffGreen.com to help decide where to eat.

HalfOffGreen.com is a new locally based online service that gives valuable information about local restaurants and other businesses that are going green.  The site, which launched on September 1, offers discounts to Atlanta area restaurants that are committed to becoming more eco-conscious and sustainable.  The initial list of participating restaurants includes Java Vino, Miltown Tavern, Moe’s on Ponce, Radial Café, Repast, and Wasabi.  HalfOffGreen.com will add more restaurants to its innovative coupon program very soon. 

The HalfOffGreen program is based on a straight forward win-win strategy. Customers log on to HalfOffGreen.com to buy discount certificates that they can redeem at their favorite green businesses for half of the certificate’s retail value. For example, customers pay just $5 for a discount certificate good for $10 at any participating restaurant.  HalfOffGreen mails the certificate directly to the customer, who can redeem them at specific dining locations all over Atlanta.

“We are genuinely excited to be part of HalfOffGreen.com, “ says Barbara Keeney, one of the owners of Miltown Arms Tavern.  “We knew we wanted to do more than just offer great food in a great atmosphere.  But we weren’t sure exactly how to make our location more sustainable.  Since we committed to participating in the online program, the experts at HalfOffGreen have shown us several common sense ways to save energy, produce less waste and do our part to make Atlanta a healthier, greener community.”

Radial Café near Candler Park is famous for being a local leader in sustainability. 
Owner Phil Palmer is proud to be among the first restaurants in Atlanta to participate in the HalfOffGreen discount program. “We’ve been dedicated to recycling, saving energy and avoiding plastic products for several years.  We know that many of our best customers make a special effort to visit us because they agree with our green values.  But we are always happy to hear that other restaurants and businesses are doing their part as well.  As far as we’re concerned, the more restaurants participating in HalfOffGreen and supporting the work of GreenPlate, the better for all of us.”

Part of the cost of every coupon offered in the HalfOffGreen program is used to support the efforts of GreenPlate, Inc., an Atlanta-based non-profit.  GreenPlate offers consulting, research, education and practical solutions to help businesses go green.  The team at GreenPlate consults with local eateries and businesses and develops a customized program to make the move to green in a cost neutral and financially sustainable way. GreenPlate helps participants with their recycling efforts; and shows them how to eliminate polystyrene and find replacements for other petroleum based take-out or packaging materials. Additional goals range from energy and water efficiency to waste reduction, reducing pollutants, and green product sourcing.

For information, visit www.halfoffgreen.com or call 404-862-2228.

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GreenCell Awarded City Proclamation

GreenCell is officially partnering with Kwanza Hall of Atlanta City Council District 2 to "GreenUp Community Clean-Ups" throughout 2009 in his district.

GreenUP CleanUps separate recyclables from trash, avoid using plastic water bottles, and teach communities about how and what to recycle in their area. There are also added safety guidelines and the training of GreenCell Ambassadors.

Greening Milltown Arms Olympics

Won't you be my Sustainable Neighbor?

A few weeks ago, Barbara Keeney called to ask if GreenPlate could help green the Milltown 'Olympics' event. Milltown Arms Tavern in Cabbagetown has been very open and excited about reducing their environmental footprint. For the August 1st event, GreenPlate helped choose alternatives to plastics, recycling, and composting to reduce trash.

Milltown used products like paper bowls, cups, recycled toilet paper, napkins and biodegradable trash bags from Indoff. As a result, GreenCo Environmental, Georgia's only commercial manufacturer of organic compost using food waste, partnered with us to collect all the food waste, collected cardboard and take out materials. GreenCo composts materials so that it reaches a really high temperature which allows them compost the biodegrables and meat and bones -- things you wouldn't want to try in your home composting system!

Other actions taken included using real silverware for the shrimp boil instead of disposable utensils. At the bar, stirrers were made out of bamboo supplied by Bamboo Studio and while there were plastic straws on the bar, they were only available by request to reduce their overall use. The City of Atlanta Recycling Program Manager Mary Harrington dropped of recycling bins and glass, aluminum and plastic were collected. ReMix recycling agreed to pick up recycling materials.

Not only did the Olympic's participants shine like champions but they also helped the recycling and composting efforts a success by not contaminating the collections.

This has been a great start. GreenPlate is looking forward to working with Barb and Milltown to reduce water and energy use next!

Won't You Be My Sustainable Neighbor?

"GreenPlate believes you can give a community a recycling bin, or you
can teach them how to be green."

Castleberry Hill Arts District, Atlanta, Georgia - We are launching GreenCell communities who learn and work together to identify and implement an array of environmentally impactful solutions for community, restaurant and residential improvements. Categories are water and energy efficiency, resource conservation, waste reduction, recycling, and composting. A few of the MANY solutions include community clean-ups that recycle the waste gathered, restaurants' collective buying arrangements for disposable biodegradable take-out products, free energy-saving tips for the home, and community-sponsored reusable shopping bags.

The project will produce "living documentation" of tools, resources, tips, training kits, and trained GreenCell Ambassadors to help other neighborhoods follow suit.

GreenPlate is excited to initiate the first GreenCell community with the Castleberry Hill Art District in Atlanta, GA. We are selecting Castleberry Hill (www.castleberryhill.org) for its progressive, diverse community and its hallmark as a destination in Atlanta. There are over 350 families, 10 art galleries and 14 restaurants in the district. Each month an Art Stroll brings in thousands of people from all over Atlanta. The community also hosts loft tours, internationally recognized art events, a community yard sale and more. Neighborhood leadership is primed and committed to being Atlanta’s first GreenCell.

Castleberry Hill sees this opportunity as a way to build community cohesiveness and “spirit”, promote the existing events and have a cleaner and safer neighborhood. We see it as a way to reduce a community's environmental impact and to nurture green growth one GreenCell at a time.

GreenPlate Welcomes New Board Member

Atlanta GA – GreenPlate, Inc., a Georgia non-profit is pleased to announce that Atlanta Recycling Program Manager Mary Harrington has been added to its Board of Directors.

Mary Harrington has nearly 20 years of experience working on waste reduction and recycling projects at the state and local level. At the local level she helped develop and manage curbside recycling programs, composting projects, sustainable building initiatives, and educational outreach programs. She acts as a liaison with local, state, and federal agencies on recycling issues to ensure responsiveness to problems and concerns, prepare grant proposals and maintain records on the City’s recycling programs.

Mary joins GreenPlate’s already fabulous board of individuals dedicated to impacting their environment and directing the efforts of GreenPlate. Upon admission to the team, Mary commented, "I am honored to be in the company of such great people - thanks!"

Board members are Paul B. Kelman, Executive Vice President of Central Atlanta Progress; Shawn Lesser, Owner/Founder of Sustainable World Capital, a company linking sustainable companies with institutional investors; Joy DiBenedetto, Owner/Founder of HUMNEWS, media for the under-served countries in the world; Eric De Fino, Owner/Founder of Raygun, a film and video production company; Tracy Long, Owner/Founder of ThreeDM Communications; Phil Palmer, Owner of Radial Café, an established eatery focused on sustainability and green operations; Rich Bradford, Owner/Chef of RSB Catering; and Polly Sattler and Montine Blank, Co-Founders of GreenPlate.

These dynamic individuals make up a wonderful team of professionals who are working hard to provide information, education, communication and advocacy regarding the reduction of petroleum-based, single-use plastics.

GreenPlate, Inc. helps people understand the impacts of petroleum-based plastics on health, ecosystems, and resources. GreenPlate encourages people to reconsider their habits and make changes where possible. We offer green products and solutions. GreenPlate believes in both educating people as well as providing solutions with measurable results for the environment.

For more information, call 404 862 2228 or visit www.greenplate.org.