The roadmap to environmental responsibility for the restaurant industry follows a path of incremental steps. It is an ongoing process that continually challenges businesses to generate greater efficiencies, reduce waste and expand their capacity to use renewable resources as new technologies and practices become available. In essence, environmental responsibility is a tool — a way of approaching business decisions that helps businesses achieve their existing strategic goals more efficiently, quickly and cost effectively.

The National Restaurant Association's Conserve initiative is designed to initiate and inspire actions that improve a company's bottom line, but also are good for people and the planet. Conserve explores conservation efforts being adopted by restaurants around the nation and offers suggestions and resources to help you reduce the cost of running your operation — both to your bottom line and the environment.

Explore our interactive timeline of the Conserve initiative: