Blue Wind Gourmet
22803 Gunston Drive California, MD 20619 Southern Maryland 301-737-2714 www.BlueWindGourmet.com Management and Leadership We use the following best management practices: Environment Policy Statement Environmental Team: Rob Plant heads our team, good stewardship is an everyday training process Set Annual Goals: Each year we grow our business and lower our impact on the earth’s natural recourses We have a purchasing policy to encourage the purchase of environmentally-friendly products and services List of our environmentally friendly products and services: we use Recycled/Renewable Resources Environmental Restoration or Community Environmental Projects: Not only do we believe in good practices inside the building – but in the community we help raise over 200,000 oysters Waste Reduction We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property waste Track overall waste bills and established baseline data for quantity of wastes produced Performed a waste stream audit to determine baseline waste data and identify waste reduction opportunities Set a numeric goal of overall waste reduction Kitchen and Prep / Dining / Catering / Meetings and Events / Campground Snack Bar Donate excess food from events Compost food waste and other compostables Use effective food inventory control to minimize waste Purchase locally grown produce and other foods Purchase organic foods Purchase sustainably grown foods Do not use polystyrene coffee cups Use disposable food service items are eco-friendly - polystyrene is avoided If disposable containers are used, they are made from - bio-based materials, recycled content, and/or compostable material Provide condiments - (cream and sugar, etc.) in bulk Use menus and table placards as opportunity to communicate green activities Print menus on recycled FSC-certified, recycled-content paper with vegetable-based inks and include recycling symbols, recycled-content, and a message about the inks Provide organic, local or sustainable food choices Use Maryland Green Travel logo or other emblem to indicate organic, local or sustainable menu choices Restrooms Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms Purchase recycled-content paper towels and toilet paper Registration / Office Use last-in/first-out inventory and effective labeling systems Use electronic, paperless registration Use electronic correspondence and forms Purchase from vendors and service providers with a commitment to the environment Encourage suppliers to minimize packaging and other waste materials Purchase recycled paper with a high percentage recycled content Make 2-sided copies / printed materials and avoid making extra copies Use recycled content paper for copies / printed materials Use refillable pens and toner cartridges Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible Reuse scrap paper for notes Reuse or donate shipping and packing supplies (peanuts, bubble wrap, etc.) Promote other green attractions, activities and Maryland Green Travel facilities Retail Sell environmentally friendly products Sell sustainable, organic or local products Buildings and Grounds Use green cleaning chemicals Dispense cleaning agents in bulk to reduce quantities used Purchase durable equipment and furniture Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents - required by EPA regulations Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing and vehicles Use less toxic materials Use Organic Farming Principals Use integrated pest management - IPM Use Biodynamics Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers in landscaping Use a nutrient management plan that minimizes the use of fertilizers Use composted production materials for fertilizer Recycling we use recycling bins We have clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop off locations We are recycling: Aluminium Cans Batteries Cardboard Electronics equipment Food Composting Food Wastes Glass Fluorescent Lamps Newspaper Office Paper Packing Supplies Pallets Plastic Printer and copy machine toner cartridges Steel Cans we use our trash hauler and the county Water Conservation Have a plan in place to reduce property water usage Track water bills and established baseline data on water usage and wastewater generation Have a numeric goal to reduce water consumption over time Assessed production for water-conserving opportunities during cleaning procedures Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks Use water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of high use Offer water versus serving automatically Discourage water-based cleanup, ie. sweep first Use microfiber technology mops Defrost foods ahead of time in refrigerators to avoid the need for running-water defrost Use or installed the following devices: low flow restrictors on faucets and showerheads aerators on faucets (0.5 gpm or less for lavatory and 2.2 gpm or less for kitchen faucets) low flow urinals (1 gpf or less) waterless urinals an air-cooled versus a water-cooled icemaker high efficiency Energy-Star rated dishwashers a WaterSense-rated pre-rinse dishwasher valve (1.6 gpm or less) Have an effective landscape management plan which utilizes: native species drought tolerant species minimizes lawn areas Have an effective storm water plan management including: Pervious pavement, and/or minimization of impervious areas like paving, concrete, etc Maintain vegetative buffers around streams and ponds Collection of storm water runoff for irrigational use	Energy Efficiency We use the following best management practices: Have a plan in place to reduce property energy usage Track overall energy bills and establish baseline energy usage Have a numeric goal to reduce energy usage over time Have had an energy audit to identify efficiency opportunities Have an energy management system in place to track and meter energy usage Kitchen Regularly evaluated existing ovens and other kitchen equipment for temperature settings and energy efficiency opportunities Confirmed that all refrigerator, freezer and oven gaskets provide a good seal, or replaced Routinely clean condenser coils on all refrigeration equipment Implemented a startup / shutdown procedure which specifies timing for lighting, kitchen equipment, room temperature, etc. Have proper pilot light adjustment Setting / installing defrost timers for freezers Installed high-efficient evaporator fans for freezers and refrigerators Installed timers on the ice-machine to avoid peak demand usage Optimized flow rates of exhaust hoods through upgraded equipment or side panels. Upgraded to an Energy Star Commercial Kitchen Package Lighting: Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms Minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning Use of directional, downward-facing, lighting in parking areas and other outdoor areas Use high efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs in rooms, canned lighting or wherever possible Heating and Cooling Have a high efficiency heating and air-conditioning HVAC system Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system Have programmable thermostats for each room and ensure they are properly adjusted Have a centrally controlled HVAC system that is activated only when occupied Minimize the use of lighting during night cleaning Keep office doors and windows closed if HVAC system is on Minimize Disposable Food Service Items We use the following best management practices: Use disposable foodservice items made from bio-based, renewable materials (corn, bamboo, etc.) Green Events We use the following best management practices: Use ideas set forth in Maryland Green Travel's Checklist for Planning Green Events Support event planners who want to hold green events Include information on Green Events / Weddings / Meetings / Conferences in our marketing materials Train all event planner staff on green event techniques Provide visible recycling at all green events Use electronic registration, correspondence and forms Use double-sided printing and copying Use recycled content paper and soy based ink Use green signage at the event Measurable Results we have lowered our electricity by 10% during the last year