Montclair Plant Based for the Planet Logo, which is a globe topped with trees, fruit and vegetables.

This March, Montclair is plant Based for the Planet

The Plant Based for the Planet Challenge is Here!

1 Month. 1 City. hundreds of Plant-based options.

Plant Based for the Planet is a city-wide challenge, with support from local government, small businesses and community organizations, which serves to bring awareness to food’s role in climate change.

We are proud to be joined by Humane Montclair, the Montclair Office of Environmental Affairs and several community partners to bring our second-ever Plant Based for the Planet Initiative to the beautiful state of New Jersey! 

We have partnered with 13 local Montclair restaurants to highlight dozens of delicious NEW plant-based dishes and help bring awareness to diet’s role in climate change.

how it works

Save the ocean

Choosing Plant-Based to Help Save The Planet

Our 13 partner businesses are featuring new and existing plant-based options for the month to help encourage customers to choose climate-friendly meals. Research shows that opting for plant-based meals can reduce your carbon footprint by over 50%.

a restaurant winner at the end of March!

Even better, one restaurant will be voted on by the community for the best vegan option in our Chef's Challenge. Restaurants can choose to join during the initiative month and still be entered into the contest, too!

A community working together for good

We know that combating the effects of climate change is important to the Montclair community. Together, we'll make a big difference by supporting locally-owned and operated businesses who share this value.

Prizes and promotion throughout the challenge

Customers who participate get a chance to win prizes, too! Plus, each restaurant partner will receive tons of promo & customers who use our #montclairplanetchallenge hashtag will get shared!

Will Plant-Based Food save the planet?

  • A 2018 Oxford University Study found that the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact is to avoid animal products. This is largely because more than 80% of farmland is dedicated to livestock animals raised for meat and dairy, yet these food products only account for about 18% of calories and 37% of protein consumption.
 
  • A 2010 United Nation report stated that a global move to a plant-based diet is necessary to save the world from starvation, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change.

     

  • Around 27 percent of all human-related methane emissions come from animal agriculture, and through no fault of their own, cows are by far the biggest contributors. Methane is a powerful climate-altering gas, which over a 20-year period is 84 times as warming as CO2.

     

  • In all, 83 percent of all available farmland in the world is used for animal agriculture, but it gives us just 18 percent of our calories.

Thank you to our Local
co-sponsor, Humane Montclair!

We are grateful for our supporters

We thank the following Montclair-based community organizations who have wholeheartedly endorsed the 2023 Plant Based For The Planet Initiative

The Mission of the Montclair Office of Environmental Affairs is to: implement cost-saving energy reduction and waste prevention measures for the Township; provide information on environmental stewardship, public wellness, and economic responsibility to residents, schools, local businesses, and the municipal operations; and, as the liaison between the municipality and the Montclair Environmental Commission, to help create policies that protect our natural environment, the health and safety of residents, and the resilience of Montclair now and in the future. 

Baristanet was born in May 2004 and soon after emerged as a leader in hyperlocal news. Baristanet receives more than 15,000 visits a day and covers Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield as well as bringing readers news and happenings in and around Essex County. Baristanet has inspired local news sites in Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, New Haven, Watertown, MA and Red Bank, NJ. The biggest contributors to the site are their readers — their active participation has turned Baristanet into a true online community.

The Montclair Center BID works to keep Montclair Center great, make it even better, and let the world know about shopping, dining, working and living in Montclair Center. They focus on vibrant streets, economic development and quality of life. 

Montclair Climate Action seeks to achieve significant steps towards greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation by the government and residents of the township of Montclair through organizing, education, outreach, and lobbying in order to make Montclair a climate leader.

The Montclair Environmental Commission’s mission is to guide Montclair Township to reduce carbon emissions, build climate resilience, advance environmental justice, and protect our living environment by advising, advocating, educating, developing policy and leading new initiatives.

The Northeast Earth Coalition, Inc, (NEEC) works at the community level to protect the environment and promote local sustainability and food security. They believe that a strong local food system contributes to the health of our entire community, and work to facilitate greater understanding of the social, economic, & environmental impacts of our food choices.

THE MAX of Montclair is a complete 10-Week body renewal system that combines fitness classes, nutritional guidance, and (probably most important) motivation into one easy-to- follow program. They enthusiastically offer plant-based nutrition programs to fit the needs of anyone trying to lessen their carbon footprint or make the world a better place for animals. 

The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. The New Jersey Chapter’s 20,000 members are a powerful force working to defend our right to a livable environment. 

Their mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environments.

“At ZURA we provide a safe place for students to get heathy in their bodies and minds through yoga and movement. The Plant Based Initiative is in line with our yogic values of caring for the community and promoting wellness for all beings.” – ZURA Montclair