Green Fast Food Ratings from Greenopia

May 6th, 2009

This is a guest post by Ayana Meade from Greenopia.

We’ve all been in this situation — you’re traveling long-distance (or maybe you just need eats NOW in your own nabe), and there’s nothing but fast food chains as far as the eye can see.  So, what’s a conscious consumer to do?

Consult Greenopia’s Fast Food Ratings Guide!

Greenopia, the green directory and rating website, has rated which fast food restaurants are making strides to be more sustainable, considering back-end practices, packaging, and transportation. And we’ve
noted the number of veggie and vegan choices and typical meal calorie ranges for each chain too.

According to the guide, when faced with a growling belly, your best bet is to go with a smaller chain whenever possible, like: Pizza Fusion, Burgerville, Le Pain Quotidien or Evos; each earned between a 3 and 4 Leaf rating.

Larger chains like McDonald’s and Subway are making strides, but still have a ways to go, earning 1 Leaf each.

This was an independent study conducted by Greenopia’s research team using an extended list of test criteria including green building design, supply chain, stock, recycling/take-back programs (i.e. end of life management) and sustainability reporting (i.e. transparency). The criteria data were gathered, calculated and analyzed using Greenopia’s proprietary lifecycle eco-cost methodology.

Check out the full list here — and find out where your favorite fast food chain ranked!

Ayana Meade is a Contributing Writer and Editorial/Production Associate for Greenopia.

(Image via stock.xchng)

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