Taco Time NW, a Northwest-based family-owned Mexican quick serve, was awarded the 2013 Leadership in Organics Recovery Award from the Washington Organics Recycling Council.  This award goes to a company or individual who has championed an Organics Recovery program that has targeted a new part of the waste stream or has increased participation.

As part of its 50th anniversary initiatives in 2012, Taco Time NW implemented a new compostable packaging program. This program reduces the need for guests to separate out compostable items and minimizes waste. Restaurant guests are able to dispose of the vast majority of their packaging in one bin, needing only to separate out a few non-compostable items. The simplified system is marked with signs and pictures for guests to easily identify which items can be composted. At 59 of its Pacific Northwest restaurants, compost is hauled to a commercial compost facility.

“We are very pleased to see Taco Time, the first [quick serve] to host only compostable food service ware in their restaurants, leading the way to increased organics diversion,” says Michele Riggs, vice president of Washington Organic Recycling Council. “By making this decision, they have made a commitment not only to increase participation in organics recovery, but will also minimize contamination to the compost and recycling stream. It is our hope that other [quick serves] will follow their lead.”

“We are honored to be recognized by the Washington Organics Recycling Council and are proud to be receiving the 2013 Leadership Award,” says Robby Tonkin, president for Taco Time NW. “Recycling and composting are initiatives that we fundamentally believe in, and we are proud that we can do our part to be good stewards of the environment and allow our guests to do the same when they visit our restaurants.”

The Washington Organic Recycling Council provides a unified statewide voice on many issues, including research, education, product safety and standards, government regulations, environmental planning, trade, marketing, and public education and involvement.