The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament earlier this China large capacity automatic filling machine detailss Factory month and so far more than five states including, Gujarat, Bihar and Jharkhand, have ratified the bill. Once implemented, GST will subsume excise, service tax and other local levies, will create one market for seamless transfer of goods and services across the country. While cutting out plastic and using local produce have become mandatory practices, many have also tued to in-house farms, solar electricity and water conservation.Similarly, Sante Spa Cuisine has tied up with local vendors to bring produce directly from the farmers, right from brown rice from Bangalore to black rice from West Bengal.The sector relies highly on nature, not only in terms of food consumption but also by the fact that it attracts tourists.

I was aghast at the amount of food wasted by the end of Sunday brunch buffet so I have killed it completely. Kaneesha Jain, the co-franchisee holder, believes that people will lea if the hospitality sector gets down to taking small measures. He adds that they are committed to not wasting even a drop of water.Farm-to-forkThe Resort grows its own vegetables throughout the year. Even the lamps are made out of recycled cardboard, and menus from recycled paper.With a focus on sustainable eating, Mumbai’s Sante Spa Cuisine relies completely on recycled material for their interiors and menus, apart from using local produce. We even have a basket of passion fruit kept at the reception, free for the guests to pick and relish," says Kotwal with a smile.C. And after seeing what we are doing, our neighbours have implemented a few things too," the co-founder shares. Vinayaka, Vice-President Technical, EHS and Sustainability, ITC hotels.Restaurants and hotels across the nation have switched to effective sustainable practices.

"We make the straws on the spot; just roll the leaf and tie it with a thread. Now we have a menu that allows you to order small portions of food, share, finish, and then order something else," he elucidates.According to the chef, taking such efforts fills one with a beautiful sense of vindication. However, he was against calling sustainability a trend. We use neem cutlery that is better for digestion. "Right from papaya, passion fruit, banana, and cucumber to mint, green chilli, tomato and bottle gourd, we grow our vegetables and fruits.For chef Manu Chandra, Chef-Partner, Olive Group of restaurants, sustainability is mere tokenism if not tackled holistically.While the shift to sustainable practices does affect one’s budget, the general manager at The Resort Mumbai, Satyajit Kotwal, says it will only help save the environment in the long run."While we were doing the interiors, we made sure to avoid plastic.The Sula team has not only decreased its diesel consumption by approximately 10,000 litres aually — by installing solar-powered pumps at their farms — but also use drip irrigation, which reduces water usage by almost 30-40 per cent.

When it comes to food trucks, the first thing that strikes most Dilliwallahs is the iconic yellow-coloured ‘Chinese cup and box caed sealing machine van’ (as we fondly call them) in our localities, serving lip-smacking Chinjabi food. This created a buzz around food trucks," says Digant Sharma, founder, So Delhi. "Restaurants invest a lot in infrastructure and getting the staff together while putting up a stall at food festivals. But food trucks just have to park at a suitable place, switch on the ignition and start working. "This is done as part of experimentation by the food trucks.Digant mentions that the dishes served by these food trucks are not going to be priced higher than Rs 300.Adding to the entertainment at the festival is the acoustic stage, where bands like The CopyCats, Chizai, Kamakshi Khaa, Jordan Johnson, Shadow and Light and Sivana will be performing.He adds that there are no such food trucks in South Delhi and that’s why the festival has been organised in Ansal Plaza.

Today and tomorrow at Ansal Plaza, from 12 pm to 9 pm.In an attempt to bring together this new generation of food trucks to South Delhi, So Delhi and GoBuzzinga have organised a food truck festival called "Ho Ok Please" at Ansal Plaza. They have to cough up `100 per every 10 gm.Uday Dhanda of Asvah 24 says "The initiative to impose fines on consumers who waste food that they ordered may sound novel in India, but globally, countries like Germany, the UK, and some other developed nations have tried it and succeeded in reducing food wastage." added Shreya. "In Indian restaurants, the sellers and the buyers tend to serve and consume more than what is needed.There has been no blowback from the guests too; they rather appreciate it. Nidhin Bharath, food enthusiast and owner of a Belgium Waffles franchise in Ambattur, people in the city have to develop the civic sense to accept that food wastage is a serious issue. At The Ibnii Spa Resort food wasted by guests is weighed and billed to the atithi at the rate of `100 per 10 gm."

Ibnii’s CSR adviser Shreya Krishnan told Deccan Chronicle that the resort’s composting units used to be overworked with 14 large bins collecting food waste daily. Its streets, garbage bins and landfills stand silent testimony.There has been a drastic decrease in the quantity of food waste since the initiative was taken up.Food wastage is an alarming issue in the country. We know that from the number of waste bins: it has come down from 14 to 1.One luxury resort situated in the hills of Coorg, Kaataka has paid heed to that suppertime sermon. Twenty-five per cent of the world’s water supply is used to grow food that is never eaten.The proceeds go to a not-for-profit organization that feeds children at an orphanage in Madikere.It’s been six months since the initiative was taken up and Ibnii’s initiative works. The guests were told they could place any number of orders. However, he cautions that "When we insist thatwasted food has to be paid for, we should make sure that food wastage is reduced in the long run", adding that, "if this does not happen, the initiative is of no use.