StayLocal

We’re turning our Sustainability Spotlight on Culture, a collective connecting circular economy practices, innovative environmental solutions, and cultural storytelling to drive real impact in New Orleans. At its core, Climate Culture NOLA showcases how sustainability can and must weave into our daily lives: in how we gather, create, and care for our communities.

Given that nonprofits are often known for operating on tight budgets, we're standing on our chairs and cheering all the ways in which Climate Culture supports small, locally owned businesses, making investment in a stronger, more resilient local economy essential to what they do.

From farm-to-table catering and neighborhood-based services to creative partners who activate public space and lead community cleanups, sourcing locally is a direct way Climate Culture turns values into action. It’s how we can *all* keep redollars circulating in our neighborhoods while reducing environmental impact. Climate Culture's commitment to integrating economic and environmental sustainability is underscored by their work with New Orleans businesses


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Each of these businesses is contributing to a more sustainable New Orleans by minimizing environmental impact while strengthening the cultural and economic fabric of our city.

Understanding the impact of choosing local first has been a core value of Climate Culture since inception. By braiding local sourcing, expressive art and New Orleans front line exposure to climate impacts, Climate Culture invites conversation and activation around how we live in harmony and honor the stories of our unique, coastal, Southeast Louisiana environment.

New Orleans legacy will continue on only by investing in the people, places, and practices that make us who we are. Learn more at https://www.instagram.com/climateculture_nola/

To search StayLocal's directory of eco-friendly businesses, head to staylocal.org/find

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Open-air markets and food halls can generate a surprising amount of single-use waste, from plastic clamshells to 3 piece cutlery packets to layers of to-go style wraps or bags. A big part of the draw to these locations is to gather, making a group outing more fun when choosing from a variety of food vendors.

Here’s one way that .rochmarket excels: in the use of real plates and utensils, and a centralized dishwashing station.

(The Market cuts down on waste and reduces the upstream resources required to produce disposable items in the first place. It’s currently washing and reusing 450 plates, 250 cups and 500 utensil sets in a typical day.

“We’re thrilled when customers sit down at some of our big, shared tables and enjoy the real serveware! It’s about efficiency: being energy efficient, working as an efficient staff, and within the confines of the small space we have to store waste,” says St Roch Market operator Kevin Pedeaux. “More than a dozen individual St. Roch Market vendors help keep the Market sustainable in this way.”

By making the reuse of plates, bowls, glasses and utensils part of essential operations, our city’s 150-year-old market is reducing material consumption and diverting about 26,000 lbs of landfill waste, roughly equal to the carbon absorbing work of 650 trees, each year. 🌳

(Impact calculation courtesy ReThink Disposable.)

Learn more about green businesses on our website, staylocal.org/green-biz or more about St. Roch Market at https://www.strochmarket.com/