More diners are eating out at sustainable restaurants, new statistics reveal

More restaurants are surfing the green wave as a new report reveals one in two Australians are choosing to dine at sustainable restaurants.

ALMOST one in two Australians are choosing to eat at sustainable restaurants as ‘green’ diners demand more plant-based menus, reduced wastage and more transparency about where their food is coming from.

New statistics reveal 46 per cent of Australians prefer to dine at sustainable restaurants, according to an OpenTable report Sustainability Dining 2.0 Report.

Sustainable dining refers to restaurants that have a minimal impact on the environment such as using locally sourced ingredients and reducing plastic waste.

Bianca Cannell, 21 of Paddington and Kristy Graham, 25 of Kedron, eating at Three Blue Ducks. One in two dinners thinks about sustainability and where their food is sourced. Picture: Liam Kidston.

From combing through restaurant reviews to checking menus for organic produce, more diners are doing their research before booking.

Statistics show 31 per cent wanted to know how far their food had travelled while 29 per cent asked how restaurants disposed their waste.

Millennials were more likely than Baby Boomers to know what sustainable dining is (41 per cent compared to 28 per cent), according to the report.

Bianca Cannell, from Paddington, said she likes to research restaurant reviews and menus to make an “informed decision” before dining out at a new restaurant.

“I like knowing my food comes from honest real producers passionate about sourcing their produce ethically and sustainably,”

The 21-year-old said restaurants that use unnecessary plastic bothers her the most.

Ms Cannell said she wasn’t shocked to find out 46 per cent of Australians are choosing sustainable dining options.

“I’m not shocked at all. A lot of my friends are very ‘switched on’ with the whole sustainability trend,” she said.

Three Blue Ducks, based in Brisbane’s North Quay, is one of a growing trend of restaurants promoting sustainable dining.

Darren Robertson from Three Blue Ducks said he and his team of five co-owners take their sustainable dining very seriously.

Sustainable dining restaurant Three Blue Ducks. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The 42-year-old father, based in Byron Bay, said the restaurant chain jumped on the ‘green’ bandwagon as soon as they started opening their first restaurant 9.5 years ago.

From worm farms and solar panels, to buying wine from the keg and using a special milk ‘juggler’ system to reduce plastic bottle waste, Three Blue Ducks are at the top of their sustainable dining game.

Explaining how the juggler system works, he said “The milk comes in one 10L thin plastic container called a bladder and it then sits in a fridge. It minimalises plastic waste dramatically.”

Mr Robertson said they are now using left over citrus to make detergents and even firelighters to light fires and barbecues.

“The oils in the citrus skin are flammable so when you dry the citrus you can use them as firelighters. We’re trying to eradicate our citrus waste,” he said.

Typically, skins, stalks and leaves are thrown out but the restaurant owner said they try to use “whole ingredients’ to reduce waste.

A new system which dries food scraps and converts them into pellets which are then composted in farms has been installed in the one-year-old Brisbane restaurant.

Mr Robertson said he’s optimistic for the future with customers starting to ask more questions about where their food is coming from.

“There’s definitely been more interest from our customers especially in the last two years. People ask a lot of questions about where our food is from and how it’s treated. It’s really cool,” he said.

Full list of Brisbane’s sustainable restaurants

■Revel Brewing Co, Bulimba

■Eden’s Table, Brisbane City

■Three Blue Ducks, Brisbane City

■Isles Lane Bar & Kitchen, Brisbane City

■Chop Chop Chang’s, West End

■Vintaged Bar and Grill, Brisbane City

■Malt Dining, Brisbane City