Leftover food, kitchen supplies and packaging are just some of the waste products you’ll find in a restaurant. Those that implement recycling programmes can reduce the amount of waste and at the same time save money, while demonstrating their environmentally friendly image to customers. Below we discuss how best to go about it.
What materials should you recycle?
Before you start you’ll need to decide what it is you’re going to recycle. This could be anything from paper and cardboard to aluminium and steel. Plastics, including bottles, containers and jars should also be added to the list, as should glass. Once that’s done, you’ll need to make sure that your staff know to dispose of the recyclables you’ve decided on. Make sure they thoroughly rinse any food particles off, as these can contaminate material later on in the recycling process.
Recycling food waste
You can break food waste down into two categories; pre-consumer and post-consumer. Pre-consumer is food that is thrown away before it gets the chance to be eaten, while post is the food consumers leave behind on their plate.
Pre-consumer
– Don’t order more than you need, even if you’re offered special deals to buy more at a lower price.
– Order products with a long shelf-life in bulk. These products use less packaging and so are better for the environment.
– Use all of your ingredients. Even if you think they’re not useful you can still use the “useless” parts of vegetables and meat for stocks and other recipes.
– Invest in the latest catering fridge like the ones you’ll find at https://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/catering-equipment. This way you’ll be able to keep food as fresh as possible for as long as possible.
– Give it away. If you’ve tried the above and you’ve still got too much food, you can always donate it to a shelter or food bank.
Post-consumer
– Organic recycling. Send your food waste away to be turned into organic compost. As explained by FSR Magazine, this is an increasingly popular option which enables you to turn your food into a fertiliser for local farm use.
– Allow customers to take away food they haven’t eaten. On average, guests leave around 17% of their meal, so instead of throwing it in the bin, give them the option to take it home with them.