Restaurantware Launches The Green Hero Foundation To Advance Ecosystem Restoration And Sustainability In Foodservice

Why a foodservice disposables company is investing in forest, ecosystem, and species restoration efforts.

CHICAGO, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- When you sell foodservice disposables, you have to think about what happens after the meal ends.

At Restaurantware, that mindset has shaped nearly every product decision the company makes. Today, the company offers more than 13,000 foodservice products, including over 3,840 compostable items, over 200 made from sugarcane, over 800 made from bamboo or wood, and over 4,700 made from kraft or bamboo paper. It's also why Restaurantware believes that helping restore natural ecosystems is essential to building a more sustainable food future.

That belief led to the creation of the Green Hero Foundation, a nonprofit initiative funded by Restaurantware and supported through purchases across its product catalog. The Green Hero Foundation's mission is simple: while compostable products help reduce waste and lower impact, they cannot restore what has already been lost. That's why Green Hero is not only focused on preservation efforts, but also on education—with plans to support environmental literacy through school partnerships, awareness campaigns, and hands-on learning initiatives that empower the next generation to protect what remains.

Restaurantware and the Green Hero Foundation have already supported the planting of more than 320,000 trees through global reforestation projects, including mangrove restoration in Kenya and Brazil, longleaf pine forests in Florida, and agroforestry programs in West Africa. These efforts help stabilize ecosystems, sequester carbon, and provide critical habitat for wildlife.

But the Green Hero Foundation's work extends beyond the forest. The Foundation also funds habitat restoration initiatives for keystone species—animals that play an outsized role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Planned projects aim to restore habitats for keystone species—such as sea otters, wolves, bison, Florida manatees, and grizzly bears, whose presence is vital to the health of forests, grasslands, waterways, and oceans.

"The foodservice industry has an opportunity to lead with awareness, education, and action," said Jamil Bouchareb, Owner and CEO of Restaurantware. "Green Hero Foundation allows us, and our customers, to give back—supporting environmental education and the restoration of the natural systems we all depend on."

The Green Hero Foundation is also committed to education and awareness—helping chefs and operators make more informed decisions about the products they use and their environmental impact.

"Foodservice professionals want to make sustainable choices—but the path isn't always clear," said Michael Moore, Chief Sustainability Officer at Restaurantware. "Through the Green Hero Foundation, we aim to provide trusted information, foster partnerships, and amplify education that helps chefs and operators make an impact with every plate served."

Moore added, "We're also exploring new partnerships to scale our restoration work. We're working with organizations like Touchpoint Support Services and other strategic collaborators, and we're focusing on education through joint missions to restore habitats for keystone species and expand the reach of Green Hero's impact. We are proud to partner with Defenders of Wildlife, a leading conservation organization dedicated to protecting keystone species and restoring critical habitats. Their expertise and mission align perfectly with Green Hero's goals to help rebuild ecosystems and safeguard biodiversity."

With the industry's largest and fastest-growing sustainable product catalog, Restaurantware is focused on helping the next generation of foodservice operators build a better future. "By offering a wide range of sustainable products and empowering customers to make informed choices, we help drive more eco-conscious decisions across the industry. Separately, through partnerships that restore ecosystems and rebuild biodiversity, we ensure that progress for people also means progress for the planet."

Media Contact:
Emily Patty
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SOURCE Restaurantware