5 changes any restaurant can make to reduce waste

The hospitality industry is a massive contributor to global food waste. It’s a huge problem these days and a significant factor in global warming.

When food waste gets taken to a landfill site, it rots and produces methane. Methane is 21 times the global warming potential than carbon dioxide. It also wastes nearly a quarter of our water supply.

There are a few ways it can be cut down:

1. Use as much as you can
What I mean by this is use as much of the ingredients as you can. For restaurants buying a whole animal can help. If it’s broken down at the restaurant, then you know that what you have isn’t just going to be chucked away like it probably would be at the butchers or factory. We all know that we can use most of our ingredients in stocks and sauces.

2. Get on top of your ordering
If you’re over ordering then not only is it going to cost you money, but if you’re not using all your produce, then it’s just going to go bad and go to waste.

3. Saving your food waste
Food waste is full of nutrients and is a good thing to chuck on a compost heap, or donate it to a company that will turn your food waste into energy.

4. Donate your extra food
If you’ve got extra food in your storerooms that you don’t think you’ll get through, donate it to a charity that feeds the homeless. That way, it doesn’t get wasted and goes towards a good cause.

5. Specials
Have a look in your storerooms to see what needs using up. If you’ve got some stuff that is about to go, then create a nice special out of it, or ask your junior chefs to create one for a bit of training.

That’s a few ways we can do our little bit to reduce food waste in the hospitality industry, and do our part for the environment.

For more expert advice on restaurant sustainability, check out our 6 Simple Steps to Increase Your Restaurant's Sustainability by clicking here!