How to reduce waste

Around the world, landfills are reaching their capacity. Degrading waste generates methane which is a greenhouse gas that causes global warming and climate change. Restaurants are key to solution because they produce a huge amount of waste every day. As a restaurant owner, you have the responsibility to reduce your waste as much as possible. You can also help your customers manage their waste by preventing it with careful sorting and efficient disposal. They just need to be aware of their impact and how you can help them.

The impact of gastronomy on the plastic waste challenge

We must act now: the pollution of our oceans from plastic waste has reached dramatic proportions. Even today, a truckload of plastic waste on average ends up in the ocean every minute. If you can picture this, then it should be clear to you that we must act immediately! With your gastronomy business, you can make an important contribution to sustainable development, because your business is closely tied to people and the environment. You may notice plastic waste floating around your local environment and this is something that consumers and the younger generation are no longer tolerating.

Good to know

Waste has more value when it is sorted correctly for further use and processing. Your locality will
determine the support from your local authority, volunteer organisations and suppliers.
Here are some categories that waste can be separated into:

Food

Depending on its condition and whether it has been cooked or not, food can be reused, composted, sold or donated.

Used coffee grinds

They can be put into a garden as compost or you could consider offering them to customers to take away for free. Some cities have door to door coffee ground collection.

Electronic products

They should never be disposed of in the rubbish bin, especially those subject to Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations such as batteries, bulbs etc.

Used cooking oil

It should never be tipped down the sink as it causes serious drain blockage in the local area.

Be aware of these materials and sort them correctly

Cardboard, paper, plastic, polystyrene (EPS or Styrofoam), plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass and bottle corks.

Simple steps to start managing waste

Packaging or leftovers from cutting meat and vegetables:
This is how you can start managing your waste:

Sort and try to separate the waste according to its type – food, plastics, cartons, etc.

Identify waste generation sources and talk to your staff about their ideas on waste reduction.

Ensure that your existing waste management systems are being used correctly.

Talk to your local authority to check what the available solutions are. Talk to your wholesale supplier to check what solutions they have available. Some will arrange waste collection.

For food waste

For single use plastic items such as takeaway goods, plastic stirrers, or packaging

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines the general minimum age for admission to employment or work as 15 years (or 13 for light work). You must ask the age of an applicant prior to employment and a copy of the passport or ID document must be kept in the personnel file.

For example, employees can leave when they want to. You cannot withhold any part of an employee’s salary, benefits, property, or documents in order to force them to continue working. Thus, you cannot force extra hours to compensate for accommodation you might provide.

Your staff can work full-time for a maximum of 48 hours/week and as an exemption maximum 12 hours/week overtime and has enough spare time in between.

Ensure that your staff is provided with effective personal protective equipment (PPE) and training to safely perform their job. This may be, for example, the proper equipment to protect employees from pollution.

Preservation

Preservation extends the life of food. Correct freezing keeps food safe. When food is too hot and enters the freezer, it uses additional energy to cool down. It can also cause localised spots of warming on frozen or chilled foods already in the freezer which in turn lead to the growth of unwanted bacteria. When freezing is done safely, it can help prevent wastage of unused food. It can also be a way to use local foods that are out of season. Fermentation, when done safely, extends shelf life and creates a delicious and healthy product out of simple ingredients such as pickled vegetables. Needless to say, the products should be labelled and the shelf life indicated clearly.

Food allergies

In many countries, customers must have access to the full list of existing allergens in restaurant dishes. Allergen management is a highly challenging area for restaurants especially if the staff turnover is high – this can negatively impact knowledge transfer. A simple menu is the cornerstone of a sustainable restaurant, and it makes managing allergen listings easier. However, when you change your menu seasonally, be sure to indicate this to your customers and staff. When meals are made from scratch, you can be sure what the ingredients are and whether they have any allergens in them, which should be made known to the customers. Reputable suppliers will list the allergens on their products.

Waste

How you manage unused food and the remains of meals is an important consideration. For example, depending on how it was used, unused bread can be reused in a different meal in the form of breadcrumbs or could be composted, or thrown away. How you deal with this means different considerations on food safety as well as the amount of waste you generate.

Delivery and take-away

Especially since the outbreak of COVID 19, food delivery and take-away has picked up momentum. Strong containers that keep food free of contamination and are easy to dispose of, are needed. Compostable containers are a good alternative and if you can use a returnable container scheme, check how the containers are cleaned.

Sub-contractors

Usually, subcontractors look after ancillary tasks such as delivery and pest control. They must ensure that their practices do not endanger the safety of food. Delivery drivers, for example, must ensure food is transported at the right temperature at the right time. Pest control subcontractors must ensure that the placement of their devices and chemicals used do not pose a risk of contamination in your kitchen. When your subcontractors are aware of your requirements, they may have ideas to offer. Some pest subcontractors are changing the way they catch pests to limit the use of harmful chemicals in the environment.

Accountability and documentation

As a restaurant manager, you are responsible for the overall supervision of your FSMS (food safety management system). The FSMS needs to be documented and this means keeping up-to-date and accurate records. This also means doing checks - you or a responsible member of staff on your behalf - conducts the opening and closing checks, any on-top checks, and ensures that “prove it” documentation (such as cleaning and training records) are completed. When you have a system already established to manage food safety, it is easier to include checks necessary in other sustainability aspects. Recording the status of a new process and monitoring its progress is another part of managing sustainability, for example, energy usage.

Independent check

To verify that your food safety system is working, you might want to have it checked independently. There are professional service providers, who can tailor inspection and analysis programs for your premises. Having this external input is a way for you to improve, and an endorsement that your food safety management is working plus an additional assurance you can give to your guests. Similar services exist in sustainability management although these are not as common. Ask your local authority or wholesaler for their recommendations.

Dirty areas

Areas for washing up, garbage bins or vegetable processing should be separated from clean areas. It helps to manage the flow of waste and ensure the correct waste is recycled or reused. For example, clean rinse water can be used to water your garden if you have one.

Cleaning

A professional cleaning program that is specific to your premises, uses the right chemicals with the correct dosage, and suitable for the correct equipment, not only gets things clean but also prevents damage to your local environment from excessive chemicals which add to your costs. Taking a step further, you might consider environmentally- friendly cleaning chemicals. When you clean as you go, you prevent a build-up of waste and reduce the risk of contaminating clean areas by overflowing bins, for instance. Clearly labelled containers in a separated area make it easier to recycle or reuse waste.

For example, employees who have decided to join a union will not be subject to any sort of discrimination or dismissal as a result of their union membership.

Decisions on hiring, wages, promotion, training, discipline, retirement and termination are always based on unbiased criteria and are not linked to any direct or indirect discriminatory characteristics. Also, offer equal pay for equal work performed at equal levels at similar locations. This means that employees must be treated equally and judged by their skills, not their gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical ability.

Source locally, regionally and in season

Make an impact with responsible sourcing and only use responsibly sourced fish and food that is organic, nutritious, seasonal, ethically traded, local and regional. Moreover, try to buy foods that encourage biodiversity, do not involve waste and do not destroy forests. If you want to find out more, go to the responsible sourcing chapter.

Your staff must have formal contracts, receive pay slips and payment on a regular basis, and be paid at least the (legal) minimum wage. To be sustainable, that remuneration would mean a living wage or income that ensures a decent life. Overtime must be paid.

Sort and try to separate the waste according to its type – food, plastics, cartons, etc.
Identify waste generation sources and talk to your staff about their ideas on waste reduction.
Ensure that your existing waste management systems are being used correctly.
Talk to your local authority to check what the available solutions are. Talk to your wholesale supplier to check
what solutions they have available. Some will arrange
waste collection.
For food waste
Read more
For single use plastic items such as takeaway goods, plastic stirrers, or packaging
Read more

How to maximise sorting waste

When waste is sorted, it is easier to identify and you canstart
to address where processes can be made more efficient.
Here are some tips to maximise the process:

01

Place waste containers in all areas where waste is generated

02

Ensure containers have lids that are easy to open, for example, with a foot paddle, to avoid hand contact

03

Containers should be easily washable

04

Areas where waste is kept must be easily accessible for maintenance (washing, cleaning, disinfection) and set up in a way to keep pests or rodents out, ideally located outside the area where food is received and handled

05

Good hygienic practice is to remove cartons before placing food into storage. This also helps organise food better and to be able to check its condition easily

How to maximise sorting waste

When waste is sorted, it is easier to identify and you canstart
to address where processes can be made more efficient.
Here are some tips to maximise the process:

02

Ensure containers have lids that are easy to open, for example, with a foot paddle, to avoid hand contact

04

Areas where waste is kept must be easily accessible for maintenance (washing, cleaning, disinfection) and set up in a way to keep pests or rodents out, ideally located outside the area where food is received and handled

01

Place waste containers in all areas where waste is generated

03

Containers should be easily washable

05

Good hygienic practice is to remove cartons before placing food into storage. This also helps organise food better and to be able to check its condition easily

Track and Talk
About Your Progress

Once you have taken first steps to reduce the amount of waste, check the change in waste consumption and keep track of it. Look out for simple tracking solutions that don’t need too much input from you. Your local utility company might already have digital tools that you can use.
In addition: Talk to your staff about how much you have progressed and how they have helped in doing so. Seeing the progress visibly can motivate them to keep on using less plastic. As waste collection and disposal services vary locally, you will need to decide how to publicise this to your customers. You can highlight points of contact e.g. the local authority website or the website of your local utility company, METRO services or specific supplier services. Your staff and customers will take these messages home with them, making your impact go even further!

Your Action Plan

  • Analyse your waste

  • Take actions to reduce your waste

  • Take measures to sort remaining waste correctly

  • Inform and engage your staff

  • Tell your customers about your progress

  • Install visual reminders

  • Re-evaluate your waste generation and reduction

METRO SOLUTIONS

Applications that can support with menu design or communications are:

METRO OFFERS

METRO supports you with a diverse product assortment and services for your sustainability strategy. Please check out the local METRO or makro website in your country.

The METRO My Sustainable Restaurant is designed to help food business owners adopt a more sustainable future.