At Rapscallion, we don’t just do something eco-friendly for one day a year — environmentalism is in the very fabric of who we are. We are true believers in environmentalism and making eco-conscious decisions on a daily basis, and we figured that Earth Day would be the perfect time to fill you in on our eco-friendly practices.
In our restaurants, we only use recyclable, compostable packaging for our takeout orders, and our heating and cooling systems are on timers so that we save as much energy as possible. We also only use eco-friendly cleaning supplies for all of our cleaning, and we wash our own bar linens in an on-site, water-saving washing machine using Earth Breeze detergent sheets that are purchased with extremely minimal packaging. We also use low flow toilets (that are also hands-free!)
Speaking of water, we serve filtered tap water for our patrons in glass only. How is this eco-friendly? Tap water is eons more eco-friendly than bottled water! Bottled water not only uses plastic, it is also manufactured — yes, manufactured, as it does have to be inserted into said bottles and shrink-wrapped in cases or packs after all — and shipped in gas-guzzling trucks. (As a side note: tap water is also far safer than bottled water as it is more highly regulated.)
We also Bokashi recycle all of our food and paper scrap. OK OK, what the heck is Bokashi, right? The Bokashi method is used for composting ALL organic food waste, including meat, dairy and fats. The process uses lactobacillus bacteria to predigest waste matter, which eliminates odors and decreases composting time. Bokashi is a great pre-composting method for diverting all food scraps — not just veggies — from going into the landfill, with the added bonus of accepting paper products.
Our company has also taken a decidedly purpose-driven approach to our venues in that we seek out existing buildings that are in need of repair in which to house our restaurants. Our Acton location is an antique 1700s farmhouse that we have renovated and repaired so that it is warm, inviting, and efficient while also maintaining its original beauty and roots. Our Sturbridge Pub hails back to the 1800s and we have made significant improvements there as well. Lastly, our beautiful brewery in Spencer was an early 21st century building that used to be a garage!
We utilized the expansive space for our brewery and cooler and renovated the front office into a taproom. Very little was wasted in all these renovations as we truly believe in waste not, want not. For example, when we ripped out walls or old structures, we reused the wood for doors, trim — and even our bars. We have World War II parachute tables throughout our venues as well as loads of other antique furniture and decor. Most our light fixtures at the Sturbridge Pub are from mills in Pawtucket, RI, and we also have some old emergency room lighting from the Ukraine. We love recycling!
Speaking of our bars… did you know that a tremendous amount of our liquor and wine is chosen with the environment in mind? Most of our vodkas — Prairie, Hanson, Crop, and Square One — are organic and small batch. Beyond being organic, Prairie consistently donates funds to various environmental organizations. In fact, through May 31 of this year, Prairie has committed to donating $20,000 to the Xerce Society for their Pollinator Conservation Program. For every Prairie cocktail a customer buys, Prairie donates a $1. So when you ask for Grey Goose and we ask if Prairie would be ok, this is why!
We also carry Tres Agaves organic tequila and Machtazo Mezcal tequila that is hand-made using old-fashioned Mexican techniques and organic processes. Our Koval Ginger liqueur is small batch and made with 60 pounds of hand-peeled ginger per batch. We proudly carry Tarsier gin which donates a percentage of profits to conservation efforts in Asia for habitat to protect the Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate.
Our Alverdi wines from Italy are 100% organic. In fact, Alverdi means “to the green” in Italian, and their beautiful labels are inspired by the flowers seen growing on the walls of homes and buildings in Italian towns and villages. Alverdi has a mission to create wines with a responsible approach to preserving the environment and a respect for traditional winemaking values. We are very proud to serve Alverdi wine here at Raps!
In our brewery, we are exacting in our methodologies so that we never waste water. We brew only full barrels as every brew uses the same amount of cleaning water, whether half or full. We send all of our Honey spent grain to be reused in Brew Biscuits, which all Rapscallion dogs love. The rest of our spent grain is sent to local farmers for agricultural feed.
We also like to note that serving our own beer from kegs eliminates a tremendous amount of packaging and transportation, making even our beer an eco-friendly product. So let’s all raise a reusable glass of eco-friendly beer or organic wine and toast to Earth Day! May we always strive to improve our carbon footprint and leave the world a better place than we found it. Santé!