Drinking With Benefits

I know you.
You buy organic salad greens and tomatoes. And you are starting to gain interest in organic and biodynamic wines.
You inquire about where your food and wine comes from when you dine out.
You care about what you put into your body.

But what does your favorite restaurant do with your empty bottle of wine at the end of the night?

The people behind Drinking With Benefits asked that same question and got a disturbing answer.

Narisha Johnson looked around as she was having a drink at a local bar one day and wondered where the hundreds of empty glass bottles ended up.

After a little investigation, she found out that bars and restaurants in her hometown of Dallas were sending all these empties to the landfill. The local government does not supply recycling services for businesses. And the restaurants and bars saw no reason to spend extra money on a private service.

So Narisha took matters into her own hands and created a program that creates value for the restaurants, the recycling companies and of course the end consumer as well.

She created buzz for the participating venues by holding special 'drink green' parties. These venues are listed on her website and advertised as drink green restaurants. This allows consumers to identify and support venues that share their values.

Drinking With Benefits negotiates rates with recycling companies and acts as a third party certifier to insure these companies are truly recycling and not dumping the bottles after pickup.

What small green steps can you take in your city, your office or your favorite restaurant?