Gino’s East Sustainability statement

🚩 PHILOSOPHY

Gino’s East is committed to living our values, which includes our impact on the community, each other, and the environment. The environmental climate is grim; clean water is becoming scarce and polluted, and with about 19 billion pounds of plastic enter the oceans each year, many of our resources are being used irresponsibly even though they are becoming scarcer - and this is just the beginning of the negative environmental changes the Earth has seen in recent years.

We at Gino’s East are refusing to contribute to those problems anymore. The restaurant industry is hugely responsible for wasting resources – energy consumption, food waste, plastic disposable waste… the list goes on. We are committed to changing our practices and policies that are wasteful and environmentally unsustainable. In addition, we’ve made it our goal to educate our guests about our values and encourage them to make more environmentally conscious choices too.

🚫 NO STRAW POLICY

We do not automatically put straws in drinks before bringing them to the table (including water, soda, and cocktails). If a guest asks for a straw, we will have a small supply of compostable straws available.

Our new straws are biodegradable and environmentally sustainable.

🛍️ REUSABLE BAG POLICY

We do not give out plastic bags for leftovers or carryout/delivery orders. We have paper environment-friendly bags available as we work to reinstate our reusable bag program. Prior to the pandemic, we had reusable bags for sale for $2.50. $1 of every bag sale was be donated to an environmental non-profit organization, Alliance for the Great Lakes).

We are currently working with suppliers to find the best reusable pizza-carrying tote available; we are excited to bring this program back to Gino’s East in 2022.

♻️ RECYCLING

RECYCLING POLICY

Both BOH and FOH are required to have recycling cans available and labeled. Recycling and landfill posters detail what can be thrown away in each can and should be posted next to every garbage and recycling can.

Staff must use clear plastic bags for both garbage and recycling cans so the trash collectors know which bags can be recycled; this is a mandatory procedure.

🌱 CONTAINER POLICY

Gino’s East mandates that all locations use only recycled and environmentally sustainable packaging for all packaged food items. It is our responsibility to remind our vendors that we only accept 100% biodegradable Eco-friendly packaging. It is also our responsibility to remove nonbiodegradable containers from our inventory, and to educate our staff and customers on the importance of this policy. 

🙌 GIVING BACK

Community-based Partnerships, Fundraising, & Volunteer Efforts

Past initiatives & partnerships have included the Alliance for the Great Lakes and One Warm Coat. In 2021, we redirected our efforts to combat food disparity within the city of Chicago. Our Cookies for a Cause campaign with the Greater Chicago Food Depository consisted of numerous staff volunteer days and raised a total monetary donation of $4,878. In addition, we provide regular meal donations to feed underrepresented individuals in need; two recent local organizations we have partnered with being Center on Halsted and Brave Space Alliance. In 2022, we were proud to donate 50% of our total restaurant sales over a select period to Ukrainian humanitarian efforts, resulting in a total donation of $27,035.