Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/11/chipotle-sets-sustainable-restaurant-design-in-carbon-footprint-move.html
Chipotle Mexican Grill is really famous for its burritos and wraps and no one ever questioned its practices towards sustainability or carbon emissions. However, the company itself decided to innovate and design new restaurants that would help reduce at least 50% of their carbon emissions. The article mentions key facts about the new plan such as replacing currently used gas power with electricity, and remodeling their packaging by using biodegradable substances and smaller cook lines. Additionally, for decor, they plan on using cactus leather (the new vegan leather) for their couches and artwork made from recycled corn husks.
While reading through the article one realizes how other food chain industries are/have also implemented new strategies or ideas to create a positive impact on the environment. Sustainability could today be seen as a very helpful trend that not only works towards the betterment of the future generations to come but also improves the company values in the eyes of consumers.
Course concepts such as impact sustainability and innovation in sustainability by design allowed me to connect with this article on a deeper level as I was able to correctly relate and understand ways in which brands are implementing changes.
This transition from gas power to electricity has its pros and cons related to it. Transitioning to electricity will definitely help Chipotle reduce its carbon emissions however the remaining practices of how these restaurants are built would still have negative repercussions on the environment.
Furthermore, even though this new design does not completely eliminate their carbon emissions it is a positive step toward change.
