Stage 2: Developing the City-Wide AKG Template

Once funding is secured, the Ei Airborne Kitchen Grease Initiative moves forward with the following stages:

• Stage 1: Building the Foundation
• Stage 2: Developing the City-Wide AKG Template
• Stage 3: National Expansion
• Stage 4: Environmental Impact Research

When the AKG foundation is built in Stage 1 and funding secured, planning for the official Ei AKG Initiative launch begins. The initial focus is education of city officials on the community costs – grease in sewer systems & fire department response to grease fires – to garner their commitment of support for the initiative.

AKG education tools are instrumental to effective template development. Education session platforms and collateral material are slated for the following focus areas:

• Watershed | sewer
• Grease fire
• Roof damage
• Restaurant | foodservice

Collaboration with industry trade associations is essential to reaching the targeted audience. With established close relationships, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and Building Owners & Managers Association are top on the trade association-collaboration list.

Recruiting foodservice-industry pioneers to use a proactive approach to the AKG management is a priority. Fellow operator validation is critical for shifting standard industry practices. Ei Partner HMSHost participated in the initial AKG Pilot to support the cost-savings report and executed a contract with GLF for anticipated national implementation. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport approved a campus-wide proactive AKG management approach. Walmart’s national GLF installation at in-store kitchens rollout is in-process. Prominent local restaurant groups whose owners serve as community leaders are target pioneers.

When the City of Atlanta commitment and action plan is in execution mode, a formal media event accompanied with an AKG education session is slated. Ei AKG Initiative education sessions are anticipated at the NRA Show and Building Owners & Managers Association Conference to promote Atlanta’s success and plant seeds for a national expansion platform.

The second city pilot follows Atlanta’s action plan incorporating lessons learned as appropriate. After the second city launch, a separate AKG website is planned.

A formal template document based on successes and lessons learned from the Atlanta and the second city AKG pilots encompasses final action points in Stage 2.

For additional details on the AKG, visit the following ZWA Blog articles:

• Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity introduces the importance of addressing water use | toxicity and gives an overview of the GLF system.
• GREASE: Activating the Zero Waste Evolution reintroduces GREASE along with history, future directions and mention of theSFCI Atlanta Airport meeting on grease generated by airport concessionaires.
• GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic & environmental promise delves into the current airborne-kitchen-grease scenario and how a proactive approach saves water, toxic chemical use, labor. and dollars.
• Airborne Kitchen Grease: a simple solution to a costly kitchen by-product introduces the first action steps to developing a city-wide AKG initiative.
• Atlanta Airport Presents a Proactive Approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease announces the American Association of Airport Executives’ February | March publication Airport Magazine article, AIRBORNE KITCHEN GREASE: A New Frontier in Sustainability, A simple solution saves tremendous water use, labor, and dollars. Co-written by Michael Cheyne, Atlanta Airport director of asset management & sustainability, and Ei founder Holly Elmore, the article is in the Airport Magazine Asset Management department.
• Charlotte opportunities segue into ACTION documents the powerful Ei Charlotte visit. The AKG Initiative was an Ei driver for scheduling the July 2015 Charlotte visit. City, county, state and federal associates made the Charlotte Airport AKG meeting a priority in hectic schedules. 
• Ei Airborne Kitchen Grease Initiative, announces the initiative along with an overview and the four-stage plan.