Rockland County, New York. Finding new ways to reduce the carbon footprint is becoming more commonplace, and the Rockland County Business Association (RBA) and At Your Service NY caterers recently joined forces to go green at the 2nd Annual Green Summit on June 3, held on the campus of Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York.
Michael Shilale, AIG, LEED, and chair of the RBA Green Council welcomed attendees, and at the advice of fellow council member Mina Malin of Mina Malin Consulting Group, Inc., informed the group that they have adopted principles from the Green Meetings Industry Council to host an environmentally responsible “green breakfast”. Mr. Shilale suggested considering some of these practices for their company’s next meeting.
At Your Service NY provided turnkey ecological initiatives, from food provision through disposal. Chef Ula Robertson noted, “thinking environmentally is a way of life for me, having grown up with a backyard garden in my native Germany, I learned how to best use and preserve our resources. I support local partners who share my passion for our environment and give thought to the resulting impact with each party I cater.”
Beginning with grocery shopping using canvas bags made from recycled materials, At Your Service NY employed various measures to minimize waste and achieved results from initiatives that included:
• Food was prepared from natural ingredients purchased from local vendors to minimize transportation
• Healthy menu choices for a sustainable lifestyle -- egg guacamole, orange yogurt cake, tofu cake with berries and grapes and hand-mixed breads
• Use of biodegradable napkins, cups and stirrers, eliminating plastic cutlery and plates, along with reusable serving dishes
• Water pitchers used instead of plastic bottles
• Food waste was sorted and brought to the Solid Waste Management Facility for composting, who provided on-site recycling containers.
The overall impact was minimal, with an end product of less than 20 pounds of waste from over 120 attendees, when the norm is each person can generate the same amount at a seminar.
RBA’s Roger Schreiber added, “At Your Service NY was right in the spirit of the green theme, and no doubt added to the overall philosophy of the seminar. It was most interesting to realize that the meeting’s overall eco-impact was so little.”
Participants in the Rockland Business Associations’
At Your Service NY, a Congers-based company, is a women-owned business founded in 2007 by Executive Chef Ula Robertson. Having trained in Germany and France, At Your Service NY provides full-service catering for corporate and private clients in the Hudson Valley. Chef Robertson specializes in international cuisines including Middle Eastern, Haitian, Italian, Chinese and French and frequently offers cooking classes for both children and adults.
For more information, contact Mary Lukens at 845 365-0826 or mary@woodsmarketinginc.com.
