Sustainability
We’re Certified!
Green certification is an audit, not a slogan. Here is what was actually measured.
What certification means
A certified green restaurant is assessed against measurable standards rather than stated intentions. Assessors look at waste streams, water use, energy consumption, chemical use, disposable products, and sourcing — and they look at records, not claims.
For a restaurant that opens at eight and closes at ten, the energy and waste categories are the demanding ones. Fifteen hours of service produces a lot of both, and the only way to score well is to have systems that run without anyone thinking about them.
The categories that get measured
Certification is scored across several distinct areas. These are the ones that apply most directly to a restaurant of this size.
- Waste reduction & diversion
- Composting and recycling streams separated at source, with kitchen trim routed away from landfill.
- Water efficiency
- Low-flow fixtures front and back of house, and dish practices that do not run water unnecessarily.
- Energy efficiency
- Equipment and lighting chosen for consumption as well as performance, which matters across a fifteen-hour operating day.
- Sustainable food
- Local and naturally raised sourcing, most visibly through EatWell Natural Farm.
- Disposables
- Reduction first, then recyclable or compostable substitutes for what genuinely cannot be reusable.
- Chemical & pollution reduction
- Cleaning products selected to reduce what goes down the drain and into the air of a room people eat in.
The part guests actually notice
Honestly, most of it is invisible, and that is the point. The certification affects the back of the house far more than the dining room.
Where it does surface is in the takeaway packaging, in the fact that seasonal specials genuinely follow a season, and in a wine and beer list with more local producers on it than a list of this size usually carries.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Commissary a certified green restaurant?
Yes. Commissary holds green restaurant certification, which is assessed against measured standards for waste, water, energy, sourcing, disposables and chemical use.
What does green certification cover?
Waste reduction and diversion, water efficiency, energy efficiency, sustainable food sourcing, reduced disposables, and lower-impact cleaning chemicals.
Is the takeaway packaging recyclable?
Reducing disposables comes first, and what remains is selected to be recyclable or compostable wherever a suitable substitute exists.
How does the farm relate to certification?
EatWell Natural Farm is the clearest expression of the sustainable food category — group-owned production shortens the supply chain considerably.
Come and see us
1443 P St. NW, Washington, DC 20005 — open from 8 AM, seven days a week. Call 202-299-0018 to book a table, or start an order online.