Reduce Restaurant Waste In 5 Easy Steps

Becoming more sustainable doesn’t have to be a burden. Here are 5 ways to reduce restaurant waste.

Paper drinking straws
KARAT EARTH – KE-C9330W – 7 3/4 IN GIANT WRAPPED PAPER STRAWS

1. Serve straws on request (and make it compostable)
If anyone was ever to point to the largest environmental issue facing restaurateurs in 2018 it’s straws. Plastic straws have long been known to make their way into our oceans (and sadly, into the noses of our sea turtles) but it was just recently that businesses have made headlines in their commitment to phase out straws from their dining rooms. For most people, straws are an unnecessary addition to glasses—we’re simply conditioned to drink with them because we have been drinking from them for so long. That said, straws still pose an important tool for special needs individuals and children.

So what’s the answer?

Keep straws available and serve on request only. In many cases you’ll find customers are happy to go without. If they’re not, offer a compostable straw option. That way you can satisfy guest needs while also keeping these bad buggers out of our landfills and oceans. Also another perk? It’s known that people drink more with a straw, so you may see a nice reduction in your beverage costs.

Glass drinking carafe
CARDINAL – C2705 – 1 LITER CARAFE

2. Put carafes of water on the table
Like most things in life, your water bill rates will only increase over time. While you may not be able to control that, you can control the amount of water you use. Not only do water carafes reduce the amount of visits you need to make to your tables, but it also helps to reduce restaurant waste. Keep full carafes ready at your bus station to quickly swap out empty ones tableside. By minimizing the amount of fresh, clean water that goes down the drain.

 

Woman doing inventory of stock

3. Invest in inventory management software
Food waste is the number one issue facing restaurants. One contributor of food waste is ordering too much of what you need. As a result, food goes bad before you’re able to do anything with it. Sharpen your purchasing by investing in a good inventory management software. With real-time inventory tracking, you’ll be able to track trends over time and see what moves faster than other items, surface popular menu items due to seasonality, etc. Keeping a low inventory means you’ll not only be buying less, but it’ll make for less waste, theft and spoilage. Plus, new mobile apps help you easily reconcile invoices for better accuracy and reduction of discrepancies.

Seafood salad in plastic bowl4. Reuse your scraps
Waste—whether it’s compost or landfill-bound—costs you money. Save money on what’s getting tossed into the bin by reusing it in other menu items. Scraps are perfect for building rich stocks that can be used as a base for sauces, soups, stews and so much more. As you get more comfortable with reusing typically wasted product, you may find yourself getting more comfortable in nose-to-tail butchery. Bringing in whole animals in-house (and using every part of it) can save you costs and encourage creative new menu additions.

Eco-friendly to go containers
ECO-PRODUCTS – EP-HC81 – 8 IN X 8 IN SUGARCANE CLAMSHELLS

5. Replace those takeout containers
Single-use containers are one of the biggest offenders when it comes to unnecessary waste. By their very nature, these items are used just then tossed into the landfill. But with new innovations like compostable products and products made from recycled content, takeout containers don’t have to be the blight on your sustainability efforts. The best part? As these eco-friendly containers become more popular, you’ll find more competitive prices and a larger variety of container types to suit your menu.

About Natalie Fauble

Natalie Fauble is the Online Marketing Manager - Content & SEO for Tundra Restaurant Supply. As a digital marketer with a passion for the restaurant industry, Natalie helps companies shape their brand through thoughtful, fun and innovative content strategies. When she isn't blogging for Tundra Restaurant Supply you can find her in her vegetable garden or in the kitchen whipping up one of her favorite dishes.

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