Council to recognize two local eateries for being extremely 'green'

The City Council on Sept. 22 will recognize two Mission Viejo restaurants for being certified as “green” businesses.

BallPark Pizza Team and High Park Tap House are the first two Mission Viejo businesses to be certified in the city’s new Certified Green Business Program. Working with local utilities, the city launched the voluntary program in March, offering businesses cost-saving conservation measures in pollution prevention, solid waste reduction, energy usage and water conservation.

Owned by John and Valorie Green, High Park Tap House has long incorporated many of the program’s requirements into the restaurant’s operation. All cardboard and plastics are recycled, and the eatery implemented a food-scrap recycling program. With water conservation efforts, the Greens have seen their water billable units drop by 20 percent. To become a certified green business, High Park Tap House also:

* Added LED lights and motion detectors in bathrooms and put a timer on the ice machine to produce only the amount of ice needed during off-peak hours.
* Phased out Styrofoam products and plastic bags
* Installed water-efficient dishwasher and water-saving aerators on all faucets. Placed signs in restrooms encouraging patrons to save water while washing hands.

“While it cannot be said of my generation, the younger generations learned early on in their lives how people impact the environment,” John Green said. “When we were asked by the city of Mission Viejo and Waste Management to separate our food waste for use as fuel to generate electricity, our wait staff and kitchen crew adapted this procedure with ease.”

Over at BallPark Pizza Team, Jim Poettgen has a long history of implementing green practices into his business. In fact, you’ll regularly find him on the roof cleaning the filters on his high-efficiency HVAC units so they use less electricity. He also uses mostly Energy Star-certified appliances and televisions and swapped incandescent light bulbs for more energy-saving LEDs.

In addition, BallPark Pizza Team recycles all cardboards, plastics and paper and recently implemented a food-scrap recycling program. The restaurant uses reusable and recyclable products in place of Styrofoam and plastic. Restrooms have low-flush toilets, sinks are equipped with aerators and – like High Park Tap House – the business phased out harmful cleaning chemicals in favor of products less impactful to the environment and employees.

“One thing my father taught me while I was growing up was that if you’re going to do something, do it right the first time,” Jim said. “It took some time to follow his words but now Ball Park Pizza is doing it right and for the right reason.”

The City Council’s Sept. 22 meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 200 Civic Center.

For more information about Mission Viejo’s Certified Green Business Program, contact GreenMV@cityofmissionviejo.org or 949-470-3010.