Certifiably Green Denver has made Root Down the first restaurant at Denver International (DEN) to be a certified green business.
The program, administered by Denver’s Department of Environmental Health, is voluntary and non-regulatory; it is designed to help businesses assess their environmental impacts, and it provides a free sustainability advisor to help identify opportunities that will help efficiency and profitability while minimizing environmental impacts.
To become certified, businesses must meet criteria in the areas of business management, energy efficiency, water conservation, resource management and transportation. Part of Root Down’s qualifying actions included installing energy-efficient lighting where possible, buying energy-efficient equipment, conserving water using low-flow fixtures, sourcing foods locally when available, buying recyclable or compostable to-go containers, recycling waste and composting.
Rod Tafoya, president of Mission Yogurt Inc., and Denver restaurateur Justin Cucci opened the restaurant in September on Concourse C. It uses local growers and sustainable meats and fish, operating with a field-to-fork mentality.
“We’re proud to have been awarded this distinction at Root Down,” says Tafoya. “Sustainability is one of our core values, and we work hard every day to find ways in which to increase it across all of our operations at DIA.”
Janet Burgesser, program manager for Certifiably Green Denver, congratulated the restaurant on the certification.
“We are so very happy to welcome Root Down DIA to the 116 certified businesses in the city and county of Denver that have implemented sustainable business practices and serve their community,” she says. “We hope that the other restaurateurs at DIA will follow the leadership that Root Down DIA has demonstrated.”
In April, Root Down became the first restaurant in a concourse area to participate in the airport’s composting program. During the first month of the program, Root Down composted more than 4.8 tons of food waste that would have ended up in a landfill – more than double the amount of compost typically collected throughout the rest of the airport each month.
“Denver International Airport continues to invest in sustainability across our operations, and we are proud to partner with companies like Root Down that share our environmental values,” says Scott Morrissey, DEN’s director of environmental services. “We are continuing to work with all of our shops and restaurants to find ways to reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills, to increase recycling and conserve water and electricity wherever possible.”
