MALIBU—The city of Malibu’s 2017 list for the Clean Bay Certified restaurants includes 35 local establishments, noting the community’s commitment to clean water and sustainability. According to a news release from the city of Malibu website, the program, started in 2008 by The Bay Foundation, recognizes food establishments that integrate sustainability and ocean-mindedness into their business practices.
“I am very proud of the management and staff of our local restaurants that took the time and effort to protect our coastal environment,” said Mayor Skylar Peak. “This great program rewards those restaurants by giving them a stamp of approval, and lets customers know which restaurants they can support for being green.”
The aim of the Clean Bay Certified program is to recognize food service establishments that are working to halt pollution from their businesses and protect the water quality of local beaches and creeks. Criteria include proper labeling of storm drains, preventing polluted runoff to storm drains, maintaining a recycling program, proper maintenance of grease traps, keeping the property trash-free, keeping trash bins closed and leak-free, not providing customers with polystyrene containers and plastic bags, and keeping staff trained on those guidelines.
This year’s results noted that more than half (58 percent) of the food service establishments in Malibu are meeting 100 percent of the Clean Bay Certified criteria, a bigger achievement since The Bay Foundation and its city partners added new criteria to the program this year.
For the first time this year, restaurants were required to have two water conservation measures in place, use less toxic products for outdoor cleaning, serve water only when requested, have a spill kit onsite, and meet two of 12 “Clean Bay Options.”
Malibu has participated in the program since it came to fruition. Other cities in the program include Santa Monica, Culver City, Inglewood, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills Estates. To earn the certification, restaurants must meet 100 percent of the criteria. Certified establishments receive a window decal to let customers know they are supporting a business that protects the environment.
“For anyone who enjoys and appreciates the Southern California coast, it’s crucial to have businesses like the Clean Bay Certified restaurants in Malibu care about the environment and help keep our ocean waters free of trash, oil and grease,” said Grace Lee, The Bay Foundation’s Director of Outreach Programs.
According to the City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program, 30 billion gallons of stormwater and runoff drain from the Santa Monica Bay watershed to the ocean every year, which impacts humans, marine life and the ocean water’s chemistry. An average restaurant uses 300,000 gallons of water and generates 150,000 pounds of trash each year. When not handled properly, the waste generated at food service establishments such as food scraps, fats, oils, grease and other waste can end up in storm drains and into the ocean.
The Clean Bay Certified program is an important way to prevent stormwater pollution and urban runoff, which pose a serious threat to the environmental health of Santa Monica Bay, local water bodies, and the overall ecosystem of the region. Millions of residents depend on the environmental health and beauty of the coast and Santa Monica Mountains for recreation, quality of life and economic activities.
The program offers resources to help businesses meet the criteria, and to help customers find and support the businesses that are certified. This year, the Clean Bay Certified partners created a Certification Handbook in English and Spanish to help restaurants with training staff. An interactive map with links shows all of the Clean Bay Certified restaurants. The map, handbook, list of criteria, and other information about the program can be found at www.MalibuCity.org/CleanBayCertified.
