Sustainability
At Gracias Granny, we are hella serious about sustainability.
No planet earth = no you, no me, no Gracias Granny. It’s pretty simple.
Some of our Sustainability measures are outlined below.
Gracias Granny is a
PLANT-FORWARD restaurant
Being plant-forward means that, while we serve vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations, we believe that plant-based eating is the future of our food system. Animal agriculture is a leading contributor to many of the problems we face as a society.
Methane and CO2 emissions from livestock rearing are one of the largest contributors to climate change–even more than all the planes, trains, ships, and cars in the world combined. Climate change is the key driver behind all the weather extremities we have been witnessing globally, from forest fires to devastating heat waves and droughts. Zoonotic diseases (like Covid) also thrive in concentrated animal agriculture operations, where animals are crammed in tiny spaces and fed high levels of antibiotics, creating the perfect breeding ground for such viruses, also known as anti-biotic resistant “superbugs”. At the same time, over the past decade, several studies have linked increasing animal-product consumption to heart disease and diabetes, two widespread problems in India.
With advances in food technology and the development of realistic meat and dairy alternatives, we’re placing a bet that the future food system will be sans animals; for the sake of humanity and for the sake of this little blue ball of life that we call home. Our menu takes a unique, consumer-science based approach to introducing India to these alternatives. Examples include intentional recommendation of plant-based alternatives, as well as monetary parity of these alternatives with their conventional counterparts.
ECO-FRIENDLY packaging, and BYOB
Our packaging is entirely biodegradable. We use paper or bagasse materials for most of our packaging. On the rare occasion that we are forced to use plastic, we use PET or PP cups that are recyclable. To take things one step further, our stores have a BYOB (Bring Your Own Box!) program. Customers are welcome to bring their own containers, and if they do so, they receive a Rs. 30 discount on their bill. Win win!
Local deliveries on Electric Scooters
All local food deliveries directly ordered on our website are made on our electric scooter. The Transportation sector is a major contributor to climate change and air pollution. Our electric Granny-Mobile helps us reduce our impact just a little bit. But also just look at how cute it is!
Upcycling of USED COOKING OIL to Biodiesel
All of Gracias Granny’s used cooking oil is converted to sustainable, ISCC certified BIODIESEL. The benefit of this is two-fold: 1) it reduces our food waste, which is a big contributor to methane emissions if that used oil ends up in a landfill, and 2) it also contributes to a cleaner energy alternative to fossil fuels.
Waste management and recycling
All waste from our kitchen is thoroughly segregated into wet and dry waste. Wet waste is composted, while dry waste is further segregated into recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Recyclable waste is sent to appropriate recycling and repurposing centres. We aren’t perfect, but we’re sure as hell trying!
