Solutions to environmental problems are hard to define, and even harder to implement. For us at Avenue Bread, with our four cafes plus a bakery we knew from the start that implementing change and tracking our progress was going to be difficult. That’s why when we are tackling a new issue we like to categorize a group of actions under one campaign so it becomes easier to direct our new goals across the whole business.

A few years ago, we started our Slow the Flow campaign, where we put measures into place to reduce our water usage, our electricity usage, and our natural gas usage. Now, as technology and research progresses we have decided to revive this campaign under the same name: Slow the Flow. 

The main goal of this campaign is to look at our habits and processes across all of our cafes and within our bakery. Every step of the process from receiving our grains to washing your plate is an opportunity for us to ‘slow the flow’, and improve our energy efficiency. 

 Washing machines, sinks, toilets, fountains, and many other things we utilize throughout the day uses a significant amount of water. We hope to slow the flow of water by updating or replacing equipment when needed, training our employees on new procedures, and staying up to date on water conservation efforts and information. 

Outside of water, we will also be looking at our electricity usage. We already have efficient LED light bulbs and up-to-date electronics, but we know we can always do more. That’s why we have partnered with Sustainable Growth Consulting who will be conducting an independent assessment of all of our locations to look for new opportunities to reduce our use of electricity and lessen our carbon-footprint. 

We are committed to have a positive impact on our planet and within in our community, and our Slow the Flow campaign is just another step in that process. As we make progress on this huge goal, we will update you in the form of social media posts and on the Avenue Bread sustainability blog. Reach out to us at contact@sustainablegrowth-consulting.com for any questions or suggestions about our Slow the Flow campaign!