12 - 14 October 2026
Exhibition Centre Berlin
Register interest
Exhibitor enquiry

2nd of August, by Jan-Peter Wulf

A Sustainable Bar? With these 5 Tips it Succeeds

How to master the entry level and be fully in line with the sustainability trend? We have five tips that will make your bar fit for a green future.

 

It's not about a short-term, cool hype, rather about responsibility, role models - but also enjoyment. Jan-Peter Wulf has compiled five tips for you.


1. Start with the quick wins

 

Sustainability is a very complex topic and takes place on many different levels. Therefore, the tip: First of all, successfully complete the beginner level - meaning things that can be done relatively quickly and easily. For example:

 

  • Switch to an electricity provider that offers genuine green electricity (there are special seals of approval for this).
  • Abolish disposable items such as paper napkins, cardboard coasters, paper drink cards or disposable towels (disposable plastic will be phased out in the EU from the beginning of July 2021 anyway).
  • Replace plastic cling film, aluminium foil etc. with reusable materials and containers.
  • Require suppliers to deliver goods in reusable containers.
  • Reuse the packaging of goods ordered online.

 

As a team, gather everything that can be exchanged for a sustainable alternative. Surely you can identify a lot of "quick wins" !

2. Don't continue with the energy guzzlers

 

Energy consumption accounts for a not inconsiderable share of the operating costs of a bar. Cooling, lighting, etc. draw a lot of electricity, and if a kitchen or food service is added, it becomes even more. But how much exactly and where can resources and thus money be saved? There are various possibilities and ways to do this: 

  • Work together as a team to find hidden energy guzzlers, such as insufficient distance between the refrigerators and the wall, dusty ribs or defective seals.
  • Analyse monthly meter readings and guest numbers and calculate the energy costs per guest, as a basis for reduction or energy-saving targets.
  • Create and post checklists: Which devices are switched on and off when, what does the first employee to arrive at the bar have to do, what has to be done after work?
  • Fill refrigerators as much as possible, refrigerate only when necessary (e.g. switch off glass refrigerator for bottled goods on several closing days).
  • Replace energy-intensive appliances and pay attention to the new energy efficiency class A.

Free energy advice for small and medium-sized enterprises is available from the public sector (municipalities, associations) as well as from the industry: anyone planning to purchase a new appliance should also ask the service/customer service department to provide energy know-how.

3. The green centre of the bar: sustainable drinks

 

Drinks with a sustainable twist are unique and zeitgeisty. Above all, they challenge the skills of professional bartenders: How can a drink be designed so that it not only tastes great, but also stands out ecologically? Here are a multitude of starting points: 

  • Focus on regional spirits without long travel distances ("support your local").
  • Use of seasonal products for homemade modifiers / flavouring parts / fillers such as syrups and cordials, own lemonades, bitters and garnishes
  • Avoid unnecessary decoration
  • Purchase fresh products directly from regional producers/farmers
  • Use citrus water or juice prepared in bulk instead of fresh citrus fruit
  • Use aquafaba instead of egg whites (as egg yolks often end up in the bin)
  • Transfer kitchen techniques such as fermentation to the bar
  • Reuse cuts (e.g. for falernum or syrups)
  • Prefer wines with an Ecovin label

A good example of sustainable drinks is the "Lokal Brutal" project from the city of Essen in Germany. Here, several restaurateurs have joined forces and make cocktails from ingredients they have partly collected themselves. More information at www.lokalbrutal.de.

 

4. Be sure to include social sustainability

 

Sustainability not only has an ecological aspect, but also an economic one, which goes hand in hand with the mindful, resource-conserving use of resources. The third factor is social sustainability. This is about responsibility towards fellow human beings: Employees, guests and society as a whole. The bar scene has always been characterised by a special sense of togetherness and community. Guest shifts with colleagues and exchange, support and solidarity through local and national associations are often more distinct here than in other areas of gastronomy. This is a good breeding ground for even more social sustainability, which can be promoted in this form, for example:

  • Fair working hours, remuneration and sufficient free time (e.g. several days in a row)
  • Offer employees opportunities for internal and external training (especially important, as there is still no real apprenticeship as a bartender)
  • Create ergonomic workplaces and seek professional advice if necessary
  • Introduce healthy work clothes without chemicals, e.g. made of organic cotton
  • Give preference to fairly traded products (coffee, tea, cocoa, juices and even alcoholic products)
  • Participate in local initiatives or donate part of the proceeds to social projects.
  • Promote responsible enjoyment through drinks with little/no alcohol.

An essential instrument for social sustainability in the bar team is the health of the employees, both physically and mentally. "Healthy Hospo" is a project from the industry and for the industry - including an app with many useful tips. Read more here!


5. Communicate sustainability credibly

 

The principle is well known: Do good - and talk about it. Sustainability is like love: it gets bigger the more you share it. Hence the tip:  

  • Don't make a secret of it, but disclose (selected, not necessarily all) procedures and recipes so that others can be inspired by them
  • Show and explain to guests how it is done and why it is done
  • Use pictures from the production process, from collecting ingredients to fermenting to visiting sustainable partner businesses, for communication via social media and co.
  • Organise workshops on sustainable bar creations for guests
  • Organise workshops on "baking sustainability" such as energy saving concepts or waste reduction for colleagues, for example in cooperation with an industry partner
  • Organise press events on the topic
  • Enable the entire team to communicate the sustainable operating concept (and as a first step, to internalise it in their daily work)
  • If necessary, use CO2 compensation models such as Atmosfair for operations and business trips and refer to them in the menu

In contrast to the ecological footprint, which measures the negative effects of emissions on the environment, the ecological handprint focuses on methods that have a positive effect - for example, because other people such as guests or colleagues are inspired by them. More info at www.handabdruck.org


Climate protection in concrete terms: The Zero Foodprint project

Based on the "1 percent for the climate" method, the "Zero Foodprint" initiative, which originated in the USA and is now being launched in Germany, ensures that regenerative agriculture is promoted: Restaurants pass on 1 percent of their turnover (either as a surcharge on the bill or priced in) as a donation. The money goes into the initiative's soil fund and benefits farmers and producers who use methods to build up humus on their agricultural land.

Humus is a natural sink, contributes to carbon storage and thus climate protection - and is the better soil for nutrient-rich, healthy products. Bars can also join in - after all, fresh fruit and vegetables are used here too, as well as spirits, the basis of which is almost always a field crop or agricultural product. More info: www.zerofoodprint.de