WHO WE ARE
Green Dining Arlington* is an initiative of EcoAction Arlington that brings together Arlington restaurants to collectively develop, encourage, and implement green dining practices in our community.
Our surveys of local restaurants have revealed critical gaps in restaurants’ knowledge of why or how they should implement eco-friendly practices. Even restaurants that have taken action to reduce plastic usage – cutting out straws, plastic bags, and so on – are often unaware of what else they can do to be sustainable. Green Dining Arlington is here to help fill this gap.
As we expand our focus from reducing single-use plastics to improving general restaurant sustainability, we want to make sure restaurants have access to knowledge and resources that can help them build impactful, cost-effective programs. Much of this expertise already exists in the Arlington community: at other restaurants, local vendors, nonprofits, or local government. Our volunteers aim to create a community of restaurants and organizations that work together to learn about and implement environmental dining practices in Arlington. In doing so, we also hope to create an opportunity for residents to discover green dining options and support local sustainability efforts.
* Formerly known as Straw Free Arlington. We changed our name in October 2021 to better capture the wide range of sustainability practices in Arlington’s dining community and shift our focus to peer learning and community engagement.
GET ENGAGED
- Join our learning network. Are you a restaurant owner or manager who is interested in learning about sustainability and connecting with like-minded peers? We’d love for you to join our network, through which you can engage more deeply with the local green dining community. Contact us to learn more greendiningarlington@ecoactionarlington.org.
- Suggest a restaurant. Do you know a restaurant that is striving to be more sustainable? Let us know at greendiningarlington@ecoactionarlington.org.
- Help us build a resource library. Do you know an organization or company that promotes the elimination of single use plastics, responsible sourcing, or other forms of restaurant sustainability? Let us know at greendiningarlington@ecoactionarlington.org.
- Volunteer. We are always looking to boost our group of passionate, dedicated volunteers. Green Dining Arlington holds bi-monthly meetings that are open to the public, and we’d love to see you at the next one! To get more details about our program, opportunities to get involved, and meeting details, please contact greendiningarlington@ecoactionarlington.org.
COMING SOON
As we roll out the next phase of the initiative, we’ll add information about the Arlington restaurants who have pledged to be part of our learning network. Stay tuned for an interactive map of the restaurants and a directory with a list of the sustainable practices each restaurant is implementing and their future goals.