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Zero Waste - A Few Eco Minded Actions Restaurants Should Pursue
Food service businesses pushing toward zero waste focus on decreasing their waste wherever possible and then rerouting any remaining waste toward recycling and composting environments. To accomplish this, I've found these businesses incorporate 3 critical tactics: 1) Removing Non Recyclable And Non Compostable Waste - I've seen a range of our generations green restaurants and cafes essentially do away with all waste that can't be sent for composting or recycling. For outgoing materials (the ones used by customers), lots of restaurants have started using biodegradable food packaging (e.g., biodegradable coffee cups, biodegradable plates, compostable forks, compostable containers). Please note: Businesses should make sure that any packaging labeled "biodegradable" meets the standard ASTM D-6400 for compostability. Inbound packaging supplies are a little tougher to control (e.g., it's harder to make sure that your vendor doesn't wrap your vegetables in cellophane), but still many restaurants are asking suppliers to avoid using packaging which is tough to recycle (e.g., Styrofoam). 2) Removing their Trash Cans - I have seen a number of eco-minded restaurant owners we work with dispose of or drastically reduce the size of their trash bin. This appears to be an extremely powerful tactic provided that you have already implemented #1 and switched the majority of your packaging to things like biodegradable coffee cups and biodegradable plates. By getting rid of your trash bin, you force customers to stop and think before they discard their food & packaging waste into a composting or recycling bin; and particularly when coupled with proper recycling & composting signage, this can be an extremely powerful strategy for getting consumers to self-sort their recyclables & compostables. 3) Educating The Employees - I have found that restaurants that are the best at moving toward zero waste take significant effort to train their staff on effective recycling techniques, composting techniques, and the use of re-usables. Training is key when dealing with customer questions (e.g., which bin does this spoon go in?) and for the sorting of waste that has been left at tables or in the kitchen. Additionally, having employees that are excited about a restaurants' transition toward zero waste will go a long way toward embedding that sentiment into a restaurants' culture and the hearts of its customers. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the eco-friendly steps being taken by restaurants & cafes. Best of luck on your eco-minded journey! Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Learn more about zero waste and get access to steep discounts on biodegradable coffee cups and biodegradable plates. |
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