When Dining Services Director Brandon Simms joined the Brightview Bel Air team a few years ago, he began looking closely at everyday practices within Dining Services to identify opportunities to reduce waste, cut costs, and operate more sustainably. Living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle at home, Brandon brought that same mindset to work and now serves as the community’s Sustainability Champion. Sustainability Champions are community associates who work in tandem with Brightview’s Sustainability Council to bring greater awareness and environmental stewardship into their communities
Quickly, one of the biggest opportunities he identified was the community’s use of disposable dining products.
“Paper was huge around here,” Brandon said. “Over the past year and a half, we dropped paper usage almost 20% and eliminated more paper products.”
To help the team understand the impact, Brandon shared just how much disposable material was being used each year: approximately 180,000 paper napkins, more than 20,000 disposable bowls, and more than 20,000 paper cups for resident meals alone. In total, that added up to nearly a quarter million single-use items annually.
The transition away from disposable products required consistency, education, and collaboration. Brandon worked with the team to phase out paper product orders and introduce reusable alternatives, such as ceramic plates, glassware, silverware, and cloth napkins. Over time, those changes became part of the community’s daily routine.
Brightview Bel Air residents enjoying a Mother's Day tea.
“The residents also noticed the improved quality of the dining experience,” Brandon said. “We didn’t come out and announce our change, but the residents benefited from the outcome of our change.”
The efforts extend beyond the kitchen. Brandon has involved the local youth lacrosse team he coaches in a community service clean-up event at the property, helped associates plant wildflower seeds around the grounds, and started an herb garden to grow fresh herbs for resident meals. Inside the building, the team also focuses on repurposing and reusing items before purchasing new materials whenever possible.
“We had a broken propane grill that we were able to repurpose into a charcoal grill instead of trashing it,” Brandon said.
It’s been a collaborative effort across all departments in the community. The longtime Maintenance Director has intimate knowledge of the building and property, guiding Brandon on the best places to plant herbs and vegetables. The Wellspring Village Director, who leads the community’s dementia care neighborhood,appreciates how the approach to sustainability has created new, engaging opportunities for residents.
“The whole community has to be behind it,” Brandon said. “One individual can spark it, but without the whole community’s support, you won’t make it successful.”
Looking ahead, Brandon hopes to continue expanding gardening efforts and to find new ways to engage residents, associates, and families in conversations about sustainability and the environment.
“I have three kids – whatever I can do to extend this world we have, teach them the importance of the land and being outside, I want to do,” Brandon said.
Brightview Senior Living builds, owns, and operates award-winning vibrant senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. We offer senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, and Wellspring Village™, a specialized neighborhood for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Schedule a personal visit to experience our communities firsthand.
