Take 5: Anthony Clarke, Owner of Galway Bay

Meet Anthony Clarke, part owner of , , and Kinsale Inn.

Galway Bay was recently recertified as an Environmental Steward by the city. The certification is part of Annapolis' Clean and Green City initiative. To be eligible for the two-year certification, a business must earn enough points based on environmental best practices and pass a verification inspection.

For more information on the program, visit www.SustainableAnnapolis.com.

Patch: What are the green initiatives you have instituted for your business?

Anthony Clarke: The biggest challenge for a restaurant is plastic. We went to paper bags for carry out. We also went to a compostable container for takeout. We even had a straw that said on the side that it was compostable. It was made from corn.

We even got down to the sip sticks that you use in your cocktails. You'd stir it in coffee and they would melt.

(Here's a list of other initiatives.)

1. Conversion of all disposable products to recyclable or compostable materials.
2. Elimination of 99 percent of all plastic products used in the service of food and beverage items.
3. Work with primary suppliers to ensure that at least 50 percent of all food products and produce purchased are sourced from local suppliers located within a 300-mile radius of each operation.
4. Conversion to total zero trans fat cooking and packaged food products.
5. Introduction of recycling program for at least 50 percent or greater of used fryer oil. We are currently partnering with Freestate Bio Fuels in our oil recycling efforts.
6. Separation and recycling of all cardboard, plastic and glass containers.
7. Convert or change utility suppliers and move toward the purchase of wind or other sustainably produced power as it becomes available.
8. Convert, where possible, all light bulbs to low wattage, energy efficient bulb.
9. Introduce staff training, faucet adapters and waterless toilets to save water wherever possible.
10. Work with smaller local farms to source hormone free, organic meat products.
11. Avoid whenever possible farm-raised seafood.
12. Offer allergy-sensitive menus for food and beverage items as well as allergy sensitive recipes for favorite menu items.

Patch: Why did you decide to pursue your green efforts?

Clarke: When you start off in business you realize the most important thing is to survive. When you become more accustomed to your business, you realize there are effective ways you can make a difference.

Also, I think just from being European, we already had a sense of our greenness by benefit of our upbringing. You get spoiled when you come to this country, but we’re realizing that it can’t go on like this.

All these things connect to make use realize it’s the right thing to do and it’s what we should be doing and we’re lucky enough to be in this country that allows you to do it.

Patch: Other than cost, what are the biggest hurdles to using even more green techniques in your business?

Clarke: Trying to get everyone do it. And trying to get rid of plastics.

Also, other industries catching up with what we want to do. When we started looking at disposable containers and what would be safe to ship food in there weren't many options.

Now there’s more innovators coming into the industry. Where we used to have two or three options, now there's bags made of plants, bottle made of plants.

It’s all a cyclical basis, but it’s each industry catching up with each other. There’s always viability and economic success to do it the right way.

Patch: If cost and time were not issues, what green technique would you like to implement at your business?

Clarke: Solar power. Even though they have credits, we’ve investigated it several times. Again, this is innovation in the industry catching up to it.

At first it was just solar panels and the payback period was too long. The technology is improving. They're hoping to bring the payback period that was seven to 10 years down to five.

The technology in LED lighting is still not good enough. It upsets the ambiance and we can’t risk that in a restaurant.

Patch: If you had one wish to create a new green technique/initiative what would it be and why?

Clarke: Glass. Restaurants and bars go through a lot of bottled beer and bottled wine. The difficulty is what to turn that into.

It's a lot of bulk and a lot of weight. What can you use that for? If they can make another product out of it or make it easier for a hauler to take it that would be a significant advancement.