Just Salad, the fast-casual brand with a mission to make everyday health and everyday sustainability possible, is marking Climate Week 2020 with two industry firsts intended to transform the way society thinks about food and climate change. Just Salad will launch on September 17 a Climatarian Menu of seven items with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions on the Just Salad menu. To kick off its “Eat for the Earth” campaign, Just Salad will offer its Climatarian Menu items at a price reflecting their individual carbon footprints on September 17 only. For example, a salad with a carbon footprint of 0.41 kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) will cost $4.10.
In conjunction, Just Salad will unveil its carbon footprint label displaying the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each menu item, becoming the first U.S. restaurant chain to do so. The brand’s online ordering platform orderjustsalad.com will also now calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of any build-your-own salad, giving consumers a real-time look at the environmental impact of their selections. For each item, Carbon Footprint information will be displayed under Nutrition Facts. In addition, the item’s carbon footprint will be compared to that of a quarter-pound beef patty to help guests put the numbers in context.
“Climate-smart eating should be easy, and our Climatarian menu takes the guesswork out of making sustainable food choices,” says Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer of Just Salad. “Just Salad’s carbon footprint label is part of a growing movement toward Carbon Transparency in the food, beverage and consumer goods sectors.”
“You don’t have to view good climate stewardship as an all-or-nothing lifestyle,” said Nick Kenner, Founder & CEO of Just Salad. “We hold a lot of power in what we choose to eat. Our goal at Just Salad is to make Eating for the Earth simple, accessible and delicious.”
Just Salad’s Climatarian Menu consists of two categories:
Carbon Counter: For those who want to keep emissions to the bare minimum.
Feisty Fiesta Bowl = 0.41 kg CO2e
Tokyo Supergreens Salad, Tofu = 0.41 kg CO2e
Beyond Tex Mex Salad = 0.52 kg CO2e
Banh Mi Bowl = 0.56 kg CO2e
Conscientious Carnivore: For meat-eaters concerned about climate change.
Thai Chicken Crunch Salad = 0.64 kg CO2e
Tokyo Supergreens Salad, Chicken = 0.70 kg CO2e
Mediterranean Bowl = 0.77 kg CO2e
“Awareness and choice are two ideas that are central to how Climate Week NYC pushes for climate action,” says Adam Lake, Head of Climate Week. “Just Salad’s Climatarian menu and carbon labeling initiatives are exciting and innovative examples of how businesses can work with their customers to support informed decisions. As a community partner and supporter of our ‘Climate Action is Our Business’ campaign, they are affirming that individual choices are crucial in driving climate action and showcasing how the week is a platform for positive change.”
The launch of the Climatarian menu and carbon labeling is another step in Just Salad’s sustainability efforts following the introduction of plant-based Beyond BeefⓇ in 2019, and its EPA-award-winning Reusable Bowl Program that started at the company’s founding in 2006.
Developed in partnership with a team of NYU Stern School of Business MBA students through a Stern Solutions Project, Just Salad’s carbon labels reflect total estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and transportation of the ingredients in each menu item, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about food consumption as it relates to planetary health.
The new Climatarian Menu is available exclusively on the Just Salad app and online at orderjustsalad.com. Just Salad’s carbon labels can be found on orderjustsalad.com, justsalad.com/menu, and the Just Salad app, and eventually will be rolled out nationwide on menu boards in-store.
