Why Online Menus are Good for the Environment

Paper menus are a thing of the past. With online ordering systems, all of a restaurant’s information is available over the Internet. People are increasingly concerned with the state of the environment, and for good reason. Resources are constantly being stretched as consumption rises. It’s important to save these precious natural assets when possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is through reducing the amount of paper we consume. After all, losing trees isn’t the only ramification of increased paper use. It also takes a great deal of energy to harvest timber, convert it to paper, and bring the final product to its end destination. In the restaurant industry, paper use can be completely eliminated by making the transition to an online menu.

Online menus also allow restaurant owners to update their offerings without the guilt detriment to the environment. Establishments providing paper menus to customers use additional resources each time they print a new edition. Both customer and restaurant owner can appreciate the benefit of real-time revision, especially when it doesn’t come at the cost of harming the planet. With an online menu, the most up-to-date information is immediately available.

Online menus also encourage customers to use delivery rather than pickup. With constant access to a menu online, there’s no need to travel to the restaurant in the event of a lost paper menu. Delivery drivers usually take several orders at one time to the same general area. That means less gasoline will be used, because individual patrons will stay at home rather than drive separately to the restaurant. This is a much more energy efficient way of getting food to the consumer.

Paper is a non-renewable resource, and that means it’s important to take conservation measures when possible. Creating an online menu is an easy way to transform a previously unhealthy way of doing business into a sustainable practice that doesn’t do harm to the Earth. Now that’s something to chew on!