Reuse, Reuse, Reuse & Reuse
Plastic Three Gallons for Ice Cream
We started using plastic three gallons and lids for our ice cream about 15 years ago. Before that time, we used disposable cardboard containers with metal rims (the old timers around here remember these - the metal rims sometimes were very sharp). These cardboard containers were one time use only, then we threw them out.
By reusing the plastic containers, we get about 10 or so uses for each container before it develops a crack or breaks. I estimate over the past 15 years we have used 200,000 less three gallon ice cream containers. That's 200,000 less in the landfill, fewer trees used, and less overall energy used.
Use of Plates & Metal Tableware at The Dairy Store
At the beginning of our foodservice at the Dairy Store, we used pretty much all disposable plates and plastic tableware. While we still use quite a bit of disposable items at The Dairy Store, we have reduced our waste stream significantly over the years by investing in reusable plates, bowls, knives, forks and spoons.
The Golden Jersey Inn building is 10 years old this year. Even though it is a large, open-air kind of building, it was designed to minimize energy usage. We heat and air condition using efficient heat pumps. Most important is the insulating characteristics of the building itself. We use half the electricity to operate this building (which is about 15% cubic feet larger) compared to The Dairy Store - which the first part was built 40 years ago. We were able to use green building technology and science to create a much more efficient bulding at The Golden Jersey Inn.
Many of you may not be aware of all the things we do at Young's to minimize our waste, reduce energy usage and to reduce our use of natural resources. Below are some things we have done over the years and continue to do. Some of these things we've been doing for more than 15 years, and some are more recent.