Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery used all recycled or reclaimed materials in its construction.

Going green is a hot topic for both consumers and retailers. Explore eco-friendly options that contribute to the planet and your bottom line.

No one has ever claimed that it was easy to be green. Quite the opposite, in fact. Even if you're not a green frog in love with a whiny pig, being green (in this case, environmentally friendly) has many challenges, especially as a bakery operator. With growing consumer concern about the environment, bakery owners are adopting more green practices, which can be as simple as changing incandescent bulbs to CFL (compact florescent light) or as advanced as switching delivery vehicles to CNG (compressed natural gas). The key is to make customers aware of your efforts.

Mintel research from December 2007 found that 36 percent of adults claim to regularly buy green products compared to just 12 percent who made the same claim 16 months previously. “We're seeing the green movement rapidly transition from niche to mainstream,” said Colleen Ryan, Mintel's senior analyst, in a company release. “Major companies have jumped on board, promotional messages have changed, and the American public is increasingly looking at green products as a normal part of everyday life.”

While bakeries have plenty of opportunities to offer “green” products, consumers also appreciate efforts to limit carbon footprints, or the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels as part of the everyday operations of the business. Retailers are beginning to focus on sustainability to reduce energy costs and protect the environment.

This display grid is made with two layers of Ecoresin (recycled plastic) around a layer of grass cloth. The crate for the display was shipped in forms the base of Birdbath’s display counter,

The Food Marketing Institute's Facts About Store Development 2007 report found that 34 percent of supermarket respondents are pursuing sustainability initiatives in new buildings and remodels, and another 40 percent plan to do so in the next five years. Two in 10 retailers are using recycled building materials, such as concrete and steel, and refurbished equipment in remodels and new construction. The report also found that retailers recognize that by designing and constructing stores that promote the well being of the environment, they can improve customer and community relations and reduce energy costs.

LEED certification

In March, Modern Baking's Healthy Baking Seminar West featured a panel discussion, Designing a Green Bakery, that addressed different ways bakeries could become more environmentally friendly. Panelists included Darryl Wernimont, director, The Haskell Co.; Charles Feder, owner of Rossmoor Pastries and David Krishock, BNEF instructor at Kansas State University.

The most extensive move bakers can make is constructing an environmentally friendly building, and Wernimont addressed how to go about such a venture. The current rating standard is based on the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Green Building Rating System, developed and administered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

The system awards points for six different areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environment quality, and innovation and design process. Up to 69 points can be awarded and certification is divided into four levels: certified (26 to 32 points), silver (33 to 38 points), gold (39 to 51 points) and platinum (52 to 69 points).

In 2001, when Haskell became a member of USGBC, about one in 1,000 companies had any knowledge of or interest in LEED buildings, Wernimont estimated. Now, almost 95 percent of companies are interested or evaluating aspects of LEED. “It's coming extremely rapidly, and it's going to continue at this pace as the costs of LEED construction become almost on par with traditional construction,” Wernimont said.

An example of a company building to LEED specifications is Acme Markets, a division of Supervalu, which opened an environmentally friendly supermarket in Glen Mill, Pa., the first in the Philadelphia area, the company claims. The store has more than 30 skylights, energy-efficient lighting in its refrigerated cases, and regulates overall store lighting to save 64 percent of its energy consumption. The store also uses water-saving fixtures to conserve about 112,000 gallons of potable water per year. Plaques are strategically placed throughout the store to educate customers on the green initiatives the company has undertaken. “We want to use this building to demonstrate the environmental innovations that are possible with today's technology,” said Judy Spires, president of Acme, in a company release.