Smartmouth Brewing Company, a local brewery with locations in both Norfolk and Virginia Beach, is joining forces with the Surfrider Foundation, Virginia Chapter, to help protect the oceans.
The Surfrider Foundation is an organization committed to the tenets of the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program.
Plastic pollution is suffocating the oceans and the many animals that call it home, according to a news release from Surfrider.
Researchers estimate there are now more than 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, and that number is growing every day.
The Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Restaurants program will combat the problem one restaurant, one customer at a time through increasing awareness, driving change in behavior and creating scalable impact to reduce their plastic footprint.
Smartmouth has committed to the following criteria:
- No expanded polystyrene use (aka styrofoam). The business is encouraging its food truck partners to comply.
- Proper recycling practices are followed – all its garbage is locally burned, and steam is used to fuel the Navy Base.
- All beverages are served in glassware that is washed, sanitized and reused.
- No straws are used
- No beverages sold in plastic bottles.
- Water conservation efforts, such as low-flow faucets and toilets, are implemented.
- Energy efficiency efforts such as LED lighting and Energy Star appliances, are in place.
Smartmouth is one of a handful of local restaurants in the program, joining Fruitive, Pleasure House Brewing, Stockpot, and Three Ships Coffee, according to Surfrider.
Interested locations are welcome to come to the Pilot House in Virginia Beach on Wednesday to learn more and sign up during Smartmouth’s celebration of joining the program at 5:30 p.m.
Or, interested locations can find out more information online here.
