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Back to the future: “The goal is to get rid of plastic”
The caterer Vital Speisehaus AG at the Goetheanum is switching over to porcelain. It is getting rid of plastic cups altogether to improve its environmental balance sheet.
DORNACH (NNA) – There was a time, admittedly a long time ago, when plastic cups were unknown and coffee was always served in porcelain cups. Now the Speisehaus restaurant at the Goetheanum intends to get rid of plastic altogether in line with its aspiration for sustainability and its environmental outlook and replace the cardboard and plastic cups it uses when catering for conferences with porcelain.
At the annual conference of the biodynamic movement in February, the Speisehaus, which sees itself as a pioneer in the quality of the organic and biodynamic vegetarian wholefood it offers, for the first time replaced cardboard mugs for the approximately 800 people attending with mugs made from recyclable plastic.
After this initial test run, the Vital Speisehaus AG has now announced that it will go one step further: up to 1800 porcelain cups will in future be provided to cater for guests. Glasses are also being acquired in which to serve desert. “The goal is to get rid of plastic,” said Lucas Didden, a member of the management.
Aspiration for sustainability
Ueli Hurter, responsible in the Goetheanum Leadership for the Goetheanum subsidiary, added: “Beyond the environmental balance sheet, we aspire more comprehensively to be sustainable. For example, we want to offer good Demeter coffeee in a high quality container.”
The beans used by the Speisehaus come from Kaffeemacher in Münchenstein near Dornach. It is a partner in a Demeter farm in Marcala, Honduras. There they have set up an area of two hectares specifically for the Goetheanum. “We are in direct contact with the coffee producer – in accordance with the motto ‘worldwide but not anonymous’,” Ueli Hurter added.
In order to let the quality of the coffee come fully into its own, it is freshly prepared with a coffee machine for each guest at smaller conferences. In the spirit of active quality management, other measures to improve the environmental balance sheet are also planned.
The Vital-Speisehaus AG with 50 staff comprises the wholefood restaurant, the cafeteria, the bakery and the catering service for conferences at the Goetheanum. There is also an organic food shop and a boutique.
END/nna/cva
Item: 190410-01EN Date: 10 April 2019
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