All of our establishments are now Certified Green Restaurants!
Our environmental practices have been verified by the
Green Restaurant Association®. 

Our South Asheville location (at this time) still holds the ranks as the Greenest restaurant in Asheville according to the Green Restaurant Associations' standards!  We were recertified in our South location at 4 stars!

Downtown was recertified at 3 stars, and Merrimon received its first certification at 3 stars!

The Green Restaurant Association is a national nonprofit dedicated to making restaurants more sustainable.

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Some of the ways many traditional restaurants leave behind a big carbon footprint:

  • Restaurants generate more than 300 million tons of garbage every year.

  • Many restaurants use significant amounts of single-use plastics and styrofoam (which will never biodegrade).

  • Having menus that include lots of animal products like meats, fish, and poultry.  The livestock industry contributes to a large percentage of global emissions.

  • Many restaurants still do not recycle.

  • The use of toxic cleaners and chemicals.

  • Many restaurants do not have any technology in place to help conserve energy and water, by using inefficient or outdated equipment.

  • Not using renewable building materials.

Here are some of the practices at Green Sage that have earned our certifications with the Green Restaurant Association:

  • We have significantly less waste than a traditional restaurant because we compost and recycle in the front of house, and in the back of house, we even recycle our fryer oils which are made into biofuels.

  • We opt for reusable drinkware and tableware for our in-house patrons (those stainless steel bowls and plates will probably outlive us all!)

  • We have a primarily plant-based menu.  We seek meat, fish, and poultry from farms and suppliers that have humane and environmentally friendly practices.

  • Our to-go ware is almost entirely made up of post-consumer recycled materials, recyclables, or compostables.  We do not use any styrofoam.

  • We have lots of LED lights in our restaurants which use less energy, we also have wall sensors installed in some areas of our restaurants to sense occupancy and conserve energy by cutting off the lights when nobody is in the room.

  • We have many energy star appliances and innovative technology making some appliances even more efficient than what is generally used in a traditional restaurant setting.

  • We use flow reducers in many of our sinks to conserve water usage, as well as toilets and urinals that use less or no water in comparison to traditional toilets.

  • We purchase as much as we can in bulk so that we can minimize single-use packaging.

  • We do not use chemical sanitizers in our dishwashers.  Our hand soap is sulfate and paraben free, contains no triclosan to comply with FDA guidelines, and is biodegradable.

  • Our cleaners and detergents are also purchased in bulk and are made of non-toxic or bio-materials that are better for the environment.

  • When we renovate or build new locations, we source conscious building materials, repurpose when we are able, and use low-VOC paints.

Here are some ways that we go above and beyond in our initiative to help cultivate a healthy, sustainable, and green mission:

  • We purchase wind credits to further offset our carbon footprint.

  • We donate to many local charities and non-profits throughout the year to give back to our community.

  • We offer lots of organic items on our menu and follow EWGs Clean 15 and avoid sourcing conventional items from their Dirty Dozen list.

  • Our menu caters to people with allergies, sensitivities, and specific dietary preferences and restrictions.

  • We prepare much of what we serve from scratch and in-house, and our finished goods are thoughtfully sourced while supporting as many regional vendors as we are able.

  • We have special in-house water filtration systems.

  • Our juices are 100% organic, cold-pressed, unpasteurized, and made fresh in-house. This process maintains the most flavor and nutrients.

  • We also have an internal recycling system for our juice bottles where they are sterilized and reused indefinitely.

  • We have received three blossoms for all three locations from the NC Department of Environmental Quality - Restaurants are awarded recognition on a scale of one to three dogwood blossoms based on their level of environmental stewardship with three blossoms being the highest.