The Struggle of a Zero-Waste Restaurant

[@drowningflamingo]

This video is pretty, but it really glosses over the problems and struggles he had in founding the restaurant in favor of this traditional story arc. There was a hint at specificity, but the concrete challenges he faced and the solutions he found were made out to be abstract and vague. It's cool to make cool inspirational videos to poignant music, but the zero waste movement in the restaurant industry doesn't need more feel-good inspirational videos. I think we really could've benefitted here from letting the story take a more organic form true to its setbacks, true to the nuances of the nature of the work, and without a manufactured ah-ha moment to drive it forward.

[@chloebirney3783]

the doc would probably become feature-length at that point :0

[@billy-mild]

@@fritzsmith3296 Dude. Calm down. You may disagree with this guy but it's clearly meant as constructive criticism.

[@levinsonl]

Its okay that it doesnt have specificity. It showed you that this business exists and tried to inspire you to make your own effort and to not fear failure.

[@haydenschwab5313]

@@fritzsmith3296 Its not constructive criticism when you're assuming the size of their friend group and telling them to get a life. Jesus. They, among many others based on how many likes their comment received, just wanted more information.

[@MrBallofa]

@@fritzsmith3296 why be an asshole

[@eduardowolf8890]

"Waste is just a failure of the imagination" Damn that quote hit deep. As someone who is studying fashion I see culinary arts as similar to the industry I am studying. They are both very wasteful with small pieces of fabric going to the trash; as well as the FF industry publicizing the buy and throw away idea. The amount of trash that these two industries go through has made me mindful of what i use. I feel this quote is powerful because it challenges the norms of both wasteful industry.

[@concretejungle9182]

eduardo wolf Watch: the true coast

[@eduardowolf8890]

Concrete Jungle awesome cannot wait to check that documentary out just saw the trailer thanks for the recommendation.

[@oxybrightdark8765]

eduardo wolf I use scraps of cloth to make stuffing for toys

[@eduardowolf8890]

Oxy Bright Dark that's really interestingI might consider doing that. Although I don't throw away large pieces of fabric when I'm upcycling it I do throw small pieces sometimes. But with that idea maybe I can use 100% of materials toward something.

[@oxybrightdark8765]

eduardo wolf you can also use bundles of ends of thread, and I decorate them with beads from snapped bracelets.

[@aminat2414]

I can't imagine how hard it was to start this whole zero waste restaurant. He has done an amazing job!

[@CC-si3cr]

I tried going zero waste for a day. I noticed I use a lot of paper towels and disposable products. The amount of packing for prescription drugs is ridiculous! Zero waste is really hard, but I'm going to keep trying until I get it right!

[@maddsmann1900]

“Nature never gives you the same thing twice”

[@monicaleon2601]

Hermoso

[@lidda9010]

For anyone interested: Lunch is between £6 and £10.50 + 12.5% service charge. A *6-course dinner* is £50 + 12.5% service charge = £56.25 It's not a cheap dinner by any means, but I'd say that it's extremely reasonable for what they're doing. *EDIT: figured I'd also add a few conversion rates for everyone. Dinner is: 73 USD 95 CAD 107 AUD 111 NZD 66 EUR 697 SEK 494 DDK 71 CHF

[@user-od9xe5oy5s]

Honestly it's cheaper than any restaurant here in Toronto.

[@luketechco]

Lidda very reasonable

[@flyingpotatoe1299]

It’s nothing compared to sweden

[@ganonn]

I'd happily pay that even here in the states.

[@MaksimIzer]

Thats cheaper than most "developed" cities.

[@jumpander]

"Waste is just failure of your imagination." That's the most important sentence in this whole video. Think about that one if you don't understand it.

[@ristube3319]

You’re my new hero. I also grew up with undiagnosed dyslexia and a rare spinal condition that literally eats the vertebrae and causes cracks like osteoporosis. I too sadly had to drop out a month short of my junior year. I always had a higher than average IQ, and could apply more “brain” than others, and I had difficulties with tests. I also found my calling in the restaurant industry. I also worked my way up from the bottom up to management and attempted to open my own restaurant. I have no ego and only have ever based my self worth on my efforts or labor. Sadly I don’t have any left because I can’t work anymore. It’s just too depressing to work on anything for 25 years just to see it die. I still hold on to it like the dream of winning the lottery. My spine required a 20 screw and 2 rod implant from my collarbone to my bellybutton. I haven’t been able to work but refuse to give up my dream. I only could be an owner at this point, nobody would accept my physical limitations, needing to lay down for a time to stand up again. Im happy to see your restaurant, it’s similar to my dream. I’m also grateful that I got to see someone like me, living my dream, successfully without the handouts everyone else seems to get, but never us. I wish you the best, and if I’m ever in the UK, I’ll make it a point to see your place. Also if you ever happen to come to New London in New England, I’d like to meet you! (Notice the brainstorming session our settlers had in the naming process huh?!?)

[@ChantelStays]

What a beautiful soul ... I'd love to support him. The way he speaks is amazing, he speaks with so much power and thoughtfulness. He should do a TED

[@Thoughtspresso]

I love it. What a beautiful story about a beautiful mind and his beautiful team. Here's to more failures, and the successes you find through them. Cheers, Silo.

[@DangerDave-e7u]

That haircut means it's a good restaurant.

[@tombombadilofficial]

DangerDave *you mean the lack of haircut?*

[@user-pe2yx9kt4e]

How so?

[@CC-si3cr]

@@user-pe2yx9kt4e He's joking. Dude has a really bad hair cut like he used a bowl and a pair of rusty scissors.

[@haydenschwab5313]

"Ideal things aren't impossible"

[@sandpiperbf9767]

The fact that he closed the restaurant and moved it doesn't make much sense to me. Seems he'd want to increase the number of locations to really make an impactful change.

[@p8345]

His rent probably went up... Can't afford it.

[@mansoaptheif]

No one wants to do it because it’s a dumb idea. What he did isn’t sustainable for every restaurant in the world. There isn’t enough “farmers”

[@sandpiperbf9767]

@@mansoaptheif yeah. I don't think that's it. If the guy did it once presumably he would be able replicate it in another location. Also i looked it up and it looks like the original location is still open? Not really sure whats happening here.

[@zhivago9286]

The voice over made it sound like he was closing the first restaurant but the video looked like he was just leaving the managerial duties for that location to someone else.

[@somuchluv89]

I agree, makes no sense to close the original

[@mattfreedom2002]

2 things: this guy is an absolutely amazing human, and the fact that the school system told him he's a failure shows exactly how messed up the school system is.

[@jdc1up]

"Waste is a failure of the imagination." - Douglas McMaster

[@LadyPoing]

incredible cinematography and storytelling

[@rinaisbored]

If I ever go to England I will definitely eat there! Such a great idea and great message!

[@nihany7460]

I cried. Very well done Douglas.

[@kickassnetwork]

The video is nice, I think thematically it resonance. But I would like to know about the restaurant itself and how they managed to do what they did. That's where I believed the article from "The Atlantic" should elaborate more since you have space to really write about his struggles and give more concrete details. However, the article was even shorter and less detailed. Being originally a magazine that's very disappointing the quality of the writing is not on par with the quality of the video.

[@ALilCrazyy]

0:45-2:00 Beautiful music indeed.

[@og_bhaiyu]

Whoever edited this, NEEDS A RAISE!

[@Erika115101]

Thank you Douglas for what you are doing. it is truly special. It seems that it is only after capturing a glimpse at what we could be doing to make things right, that others will follow and hopefully they will.

[@yuhboris304]

Give this man a chefs table episode already

[@bluebellflamesx]

Film style reminds me of chefs table. I just wish this was a 45 min episode. in depth on some of the dishes they make.

[@thorin2667]

"Waste is just a failure of imagination"

[@Ben-mb4ft]

Fantastic! we need more like this. but everyone let's not forget that we can also work on a zero-waste restaurant at home ;-) lets make it happen!

[@emmerson423]

I'd argue that being able to cultivate a 0 waste environment at home comes from a place of privilege. The actions of one home won't do Jack in the long run. It shouldn't be on the consumers to manage waste, but the people who create it in the first place (producers). As long as they keep making products to be wasted there will always be waste. But if you have the resources and the time sure! Shoot for the stars!

[@Ben-mb4ft]

@@emmerson423 nice food for thought thx! yeah I agree on the privilige point, it's really kind of difficult to buy quality organic products without packaging in my area too. but I hope with us supporting more of the options that are out there already and simultaniously sharing the knowledge about plastic and putting a bit of pressure on the supermarkets and politics can change something. putting it all on the producers might just not be realistic, without the consumers showing demand most of them won't change it seems or do it half assed

[@intothefey]

Other than the fact the restaraunt is zero waste which is hella cool, I just loved the creativity aspect they must all have with their cooking. The menu must change often due to the harvest they get and clearly the chefs have a passion for cooking as an art.

[@YEUNGMANCOOKING]

Very cool journey and incredibly well filmed

[@chopsthicccs]

This video is amazing. I don't know why but I ended up so moved and motivated to make a change. Thank you for this inspiration.

[@Sjalabais]

As I am growing older, I am getting more and more fascinated with our individual narratives and life stories. This one is spot on. Imagine if all of us, billions of humans, had the same opportunities - what we could achieve. Alas, not quite there yet.

[@paulagattoni4519]

Thanks for not giving up and make this restaurant possible

[@Will-rp2xx]

What a well done video. My initially thought was "Yeah, but how did they do it?" What were the small battles that had to be won? What are the daily struggles that threaten the business's ability to pay it's bills? By the end, however, I realized that the purpose of the video is not to share the secret recipe for a zero-waste restaurant. The point is actually that each of us has the creativity to solve the problems that we are most passionate about. This has really inspired me to act rather than sit around and think that my dreams are unachievable. Thanks Douglas for your hard work and inspiration!

[@solarpunkalana]

To all the people about to comment ‘but the restaurant isn’t vegan so the zero waste isn’t effective’ (because having watched many videos like these, I know the comments are coming): Veganism is not the be all and end all to our climate/ecological crisis. Yes, eating less meat is important. But it’s how we source our food and how we deal with all of the food waste which we produce that is important. We produce more than enough food to feed the world currently. This is a beautiful example of how we can use food without producing waste, thus leaving more food for third world countries. Also, it shows that plastic and endless unnecessary packaging is not needed. Removing our one-use packaging and endless consumption is just as important as eating less meat. As for the sourcing of food, eating only sustainable line-caught fish and free range grass-fed meat are the changes we need to make, not ‘everybody go vegan’. I’m a zoology/ecology student. I can give you many examples of how a vegan world will not be the optimal solution to our ecological crisis. If you want those examples, comment down below :) Thank you for the beautiful video. This is the sort of positive attitude people need to have :)

[@wuld7915]

If you have to grow food to raise and feed an animal, when you could give that food to a human, then you're already creating a system less efficient. That said, I'm not going to ridicule people for being addicted to animal products. I've smoked cigarettes and know what it's like to be hooked on something. I'd just be relieved to see people admit it's mostly just that. "Zero waste" is technically an inaccurate term, because the only thing truly that way is going back to nature, abandoning technology and letting natural selection reduce the population. Most people won't do that, and I don't blame them. The biosphere has had a long run, but I can't wait for it to be over.

[@solarpunkalana]

@@wuld7915 I agree with you - we shouldn't need to grow food to feed animals. It is a waste. Which is why we need to switch to grass-fed. We cannot digest grass ourselves. A lot of areas where grass grows would be inefficient to grow crops - hence it is more efficient to have grazing animals. In addition, it has been proven that many grazed areas produce much higher biodiversity than pesticide-sprayed crop fields would. (Just look at the prairies in North America - the only reason they are still there is due to cattle). Cattle and sheep can graze grass. Extra food waste, such as potato peels, we could feed to pigs (as it was in the olden days, before all of the over the top health-and-safety regulations came into play).

[@KemoSays]

@@solarpunkalana but we can't feed the whole world with grass fed meat. There's not enough space realistically i think? Imagine China. They have problems producing what they need with their current terrible methods.

[@solarpunkalana]

@@KemoSays Yes - as I stated before, we need to reduce our global meat intake. (i.e switch to meat once/twice a week rather than every day). Then it will be more sustainable.

[@tomr6562]

He said himself "Most ethical restaurant..." waste or efficiency aside, this is not the most ethical restaurant possible. As for zero waste, this is an amazing venture and I hope it succeeds further and others can learn from it.

[@AcornNStone]

Wow. Just wow! Incredible what this young man has confronted and the success he has achieved! Silo is incredible. Also, the video, from the selection of music to the editing was pure magic and made for a wonderful viewing experience. Great job @The Atlantic!

[@LeafyK]

4 years later: their website is still accepting bookings! I'm glad to see their business is thriving.

[@bichocorral]

excellent film. love it

[@jeanneamato8278]

Brilliant idea, brilliant and caring soul

[@briahthayer6096]

I hope this video goes viral, more people should see this. Amazing idea and commitment! Love this

[@EF-yp9ui]

Unfortunately I have seen too many ads like this and not used in practice at all but tactic to advertise and charge high price.

[@zorkmid1083]

If he wanted to spread, why didn't he try franchising or branching out, instead of dropping an established location?

[@sandpiperbf9767]

@@jomsies would it be hard than franchising a different kind of restaurant? Or do you just mean the effort needed for zero waste would mean the other branches are less likeky to follow suit?

[@shannonhester6665]

He is already looking for a challenge so why no franchise

[@dondoron5377]

He has consulted other venues, e.g. www.nytimes.com/2020/01/01/business/zero-waste-restaurants.html

[@sandpiperbf9767]

@@jomsies yeah alright, definitely fair. A total removal of packaging is not a good solution on any kind of scale.

[@sandpiperbf9767]

That being said, there have historically been ways to package things without producing waste. i.e. milk in glass bottles

[@janetgordon2484]

All the very best. What a great iniative. Its difficult to think against the norms that have been shoved down our throats.

[@KylieJonkman]

What a beautiful thing! I want to go! Also we need more of these all over our country! Xxx

[@organicnorth5492]

Man! I applaud you! I am celebrating the fact that I have another hero to add to my short list. You're persistance and vision will lead the world to a better future.

[@ryanmatushin2345]

That is a wonderful and special person. I’m impressed by this guy

[@hupnvs1396]

Thank you ❤️

[@NOPLASTICITSFANTASTIC]

Невероятное видео!!! Очень благодарна за такую работу🙏🏻🤍 Silo - вдохновляющий проект!

[@gmaila.v4689]

Very inspiring. I have been working in the restaurant industry for some years now, and the amount of waste is usually extreme. Packaging, cling film, paper, prepp, produce and so on. Its very normal to produce like 2-3 full bin bags of garbage in 1 shift. People have finally started to throw compostables in the compost now finally, but many places still dont. I think the industry needs a lot of change, and i bet most other industrys work like this too. They rather waste trash than man hours. Plastic is cheap time is not. We need change.

[@kamrynfilms]

this is fucking amazing, this man is truly doing something. fuck anyone who doubted him, although he went and still goes through struggles, as we all do, at least he's with the environment instead of against anddd just simply doing something awesome. so great, the best things require the most effort

[@aldanavera8387]

Oh man, God bless your hard work

[@quil10it]

Fabulous and simple. buy direct from the farmer eliminates the waste. Done. Easy. Better for everyone to eat what is grown locally and in season! Great Job Douglas and team.

[@puspapradhan2485]

This is really an encouraging video so much message it cascade.

[@iraivanova6262]

Very inspiring, thank you. Powerful message not to be afraid of failures as through them you learn and grow. And persist. Thank You. ♥

[@bignoobmcgee9107]

He is a hero!!!

[@zhivago9286]

Having gone to culinary school and currently working in the food industry I would love to see the logistics of his operations.

[@schillieyoung7075]

most places you get hit with regs/fines if you try to compost/feed animals with the leftovers. if you want to do something like this is best if its your own family owned farm/restaurant. i dont know of any chains that can do this. if its your own farm/restaurant you'll only have to worry about your community's regs.

[@qflower4982]

This is awesome. More should follow

[@brithelsing]

Thank you for sharing your story!

[@katerina6990]

this man is totally in the right direction!!!! if i was living somewhere close i would go as often as possible! we need to support these kinds of innovative people

[@justynapers7572]

Such a lovely story, I am sure full of ups and downs, but so heart warming in these crazy 'waste' times.

[@oliviamarmalade7598]

Brilliant and thought provoking. I think the intention of drawing the audience in and planting the seed of this philosophy has hit its mark.

[@FridayTheZombie]

"You're using coconuts!" ... "Where'd you get those coconuts!?"

[@rabiabasher2485]

I love this...I want to be this..so inspired...

[@cHiidOri15]

Such an inspiration

[@ivann9924]

"Be grateful for our earth, don't produce unnecessary waste"

[@Gaga0fGaGa]

This video is so beautiful

[@TheShadowPhoenix]

Please list the location and also do a follow-up about the specific challenges he faced so that the rest of us can help to make a better world

[@TheActualCathal]

Make a follow-up, but be more specific about the struggles.

[@andreea2medi]

This is amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing in any way possible and also inspirational!!!! Keep up the good work!

[@pedromendoza73]

Absolutamente genial! La mente al servicio de la conciencia

[@cheetonips6399]

This man and his beliefs are extraordinary

[@cornelstrydom9757]

Brilliant!!!

[@hpeace5916]

An amazing man. Bravo 🙌

[@bea9514]

This video is extremely inspiring 😊

[@blaklena]

Amazing !

[@estevanlee6224]

This is truly inspiring. What you are doing is amazing. This concept must be popularised!

[@willgrantresults]

Such an inspiring video love this! Shared as well!

[@feliciarata7923]

I have so much respect for this guy. If only more restaurants would have the motivation to put some effort in limiting waste.

[@WhoCares-ty7jo]

this is beautiful! wow

[@francishew3672]

This is inspiring

[@RUACHFRUIT]

I Totally Wholeheartedly Agree and am on board with this, this is something we are doing also!

[@kassandrab665]

He's making great strides and is an amazing example. More people and companies should follow. It could create a chain reaction and make a positive change for our planet. "You can not do all of the good that the world needs but the world need all of the good that you can do". - Shelbizleee

[@lexybones]

This is so amazing! I would love to see more restaurant around the United States practice things like this. It's the small steps that lead into big changes. In a dream world every place would be waste-free.

[@preciousannnepomuceno694]

ilove this kind of passion

[@boulderfighters2590]

Great footage and great idea behind the restaurant. More people should have the courage to go this way. I am glad he did!

[@lp9219]

Inspiring story, thank you for pushing this hard ❤️

[@saumini9]

You can hear the wisdom in his eloquence

[@kristinparish2834]

why should we always focus on the bad? everyone knows that restaurant start-ups are always precarious. another great video, Mark!

[@vampirevtubervixen]

So fascinating.

[@beatrizcosta9790]

this is absolutely amazing

[@Those2glittergirls]

I just did a project on Silo for my environmental studies class! So cool to accidentally find this video after :)

[@olejohnson5159]

been working in a restaurant lately,and yes it is very wasteful and unsustainable

[@summrajabeen5485]

yet traditional business people say sustainability is not feasible,..great video👍

[@christinanarine]

Wow amazing 😊

[@dipro001]

Congratulations on this initiative. I cannot wait to eat at your place.

[@burcufrat5320]

so inspiring

[@deb31vers35]

What an amazing human! Wish we had more cafe/restaurants like this. ✌

[@Laniakea339]

So beautiful! Thank you!

[@tulsibhalodia501]

Bravo 👍🏻

[@vidaviva7070]

Awesome!!!

[@msjulicious]

amazing story! i hope he writes a book about his process.

[@eleanorryan9275]

This is amazing ❤

[@priyankapalit4900]

Brilliance...