"Zero-waste" in the context of a restaurant refers to a sustainability-focused approach that aims to minimize the environmental impact of the restaurant's operations by reducing food waste and eliminating, or significantly reducing, the use of non-reusable or non-recyclable materials. At The Acorn we view this as encompassing several practices and strategies:

1. Waste Prevention: The restaurant carefully plans its menu and portion sizes to minimize food waste. This might involve using ingredients in multiple dishes, offering flexibility with portion sizes for larger or smaller groups, and serving our dishes in a “family-style” for sharing.

2. Comprehensive Recycling: Going beyond the commercially available recycling programs to ensure all possible materials (e.g., glass, paper, plastic, soft plastic, and metals) are recycled by making regular visits to the City Zero Waste station.

3. Composting: Organic waste, such as food scraps and biodegradable materials, is composted instead of being sent to landfills.

4. Acorn Garden: At The Acorn, our garden is a testament to our Zero Waste Commitment, flourishing with edible blossoms and unique herbs that go from soil to plate, nurtured by the expertise of Victory Gardens Co-op who train our team throughout the growing season to cultivate sustainably and with purpose.

5. Sustainable Sourcing: Ingredients are sourced responsibly, prioritizing local, organic, and seasonal products to reduce carbon footprint and support local economies. Nearly everything you find on your plate (and in some cases the plate itself) was grown, harvested or made in British Columbia and Western Canada.

6. From Seed to Stalk Philosophy: Our restaurant is committed to maximizing the use of every part of our ingredients, transforming trimmings, pits, cores, and stems, which would traditionally be discarded or composted, into key components of our flavorful sauces, stocks, vinegars, and syrups. We honour our vegetables by avoiding the use of out-of-season produce; instead, we preserve them at their peak freshness, allowing us to savour their full flavor throughout the year.

7. Reducing Plastics and Disposables: Single-use plastics and disposable items are avoided. Reusable or compostable alternatives are used instead for tableware, packaging, and other needs.

8. Circular Economy Principles: The restaurant adopts circular economy principles, aiming to keep products, equipment, and materials in use for as long as possible, thus reducing the need for new resources.

By implementing these practices, The Acorn strives not only to minimize its environmental footprint but also to inspire broader changes in the food industry and consumer habits towards more sustainable practices.