Green Bellingham

March 30th, 2008

Our first stop on the Tour, Bellingham, Washington.

There is so much happening here for sustainability, it’s kind of mind blowing. First we stopped at Colophon Cafe, a locally famous establishment. The food was awesome, much of it from local sources, AND they compost everything; food waste, napkins, almost all of their kitchen waste. This is one of many green initiatives started at Colophon by Leah Peterson, the staff manager, and supported whole heartedly by the owners. She said they used to have six large garbage bags bound for the landfill every night, Now they have one. It is possible because of the industrial compost facility at Green Earth Technologies about a half an hour away from Bellingham in Lynden, WA.

Later we stopped in La Fiamma, where they serve delicious pizza, burgers and drinks (we didn’t have room for the deserts). They also compost all possible organic wastes. Coming from New York, where local green restaurants like Green Table, where the owner has been fighting for compost collection for years, and can’t get the Chelsea Market establishment to take it on. Maybe this year it will change.

See the entry about WWU for the many initiatives our host school has taken on.

And when you come to Bellingham stay at the friendly and affordable Coachman Inn.