If you were ever unsure about the validity of restaurant sustainability, let me clear this up for you, eco-friendly sustainable restaurants are here to stay.
Diners want to make sure the place they choose to eat is doing their bit for the planet. In 2018 many diners are actively seeking restaurants who are responsible and eco-conscious, they are simply loving green restaurants.
So you want to become sustainable?
Here are 6 ways you can become more sustainable for free…
Read time: 5 minutes
1. Recycling!
Here is the UK there is a big push on recycling, I would be very surprised if you are not recycling at home already.
Restaurants chew through a lot of packaging and other waste every single day to keep up with the demand of putting meals on tables hours on end.
Do you sort your recycling? Different areas of the country may recycle slightly differently, however, sorting plastics, metals, paper and food will help the environment.
Ask your current waste disposal company what can recycle and what more you can do to recycle waste from your restaurant, if there are limited recycling options you may want to research alternative companies.
2. Conserve Water
Conserving water will help the environment in a variety of ways, the more we use the more we need to treat and pump.
There are many excellent paid options which can result in a drastic reduction in water consumption such as low flow taps, however, there are also excellent free methods of conserving water.
Education, training staff on the importance of saving water by explaining the cost to the business and harm to the environment is a sure fire way to changing attitudes towards being more sustainable.
Not letting taps run while other tasks are performed is one of the most common ways people waste water so this is a good place to start.
3. Donate Excess Food
Restaurants in general waste a scary amount of food, 40% of food waste created by the hospitality sector finds its way to a landfill site. Landfills have a hugely damaging impact on the environment, the land is destroyed and harmful gases are emitted.
So how can you minimise the amount you are sending to a landfill?
Donating food is fantastic and now there are lots of organisations out there such as food banks who will take your food and redistribute it to those who most need it.
What types of food items they accept will vary so you will need to check with your local food bank!
4. Switch Off Appliances
I must admit this is a personal pet hate of mine, leaving appliances switched on when there is simply no need and is unnecessary.
Using excessive energy not only damages your bank account it also has a substantial impact on the planet, as we mainly use fossil fuels for our energy the more we use the more we are polluting the planet.
Switching off appliances such as lights is simple but yet is often neglected. If you have many lights in your restaurant then switching off lights will make a noticeable difference. Which appliances can you switch off?
5. Cleaning Applicances
How many appliances do you have in your restaurant? I imagine you have many and this is understandable, they all play a vital role in putting food and drink on the table.
Cleaning may not be what gets you out of bed in the morning but it’s vital nonetheless. These appliances are pretty durable however it doesn’t take to much dirt in the right area to affect it.
If refrigerator seals are dirty for example this will reduce the efficiency of the appliance letting cold air escape, as a consequence more energy than should be necessary to keep the refrigerator cold is being used.
Another great way to increase restaurant sustainability is to use these 3 eco-friendly products!
6. Join Carbon Free Dining and Plant Trees
By joining Carbon Free Dining you allow your diners to offset the carbon emissions that were produced in the making of their meal. How does it work?
An optional 99p is added to the bill of the table at the restaurant, for this 99p we guarantee a fruit tree will be planted in a developing country, at no cost to the restaurant.
Carbon Free Dining is a no-brainer, it’s a win-win situation for restaurant and diner.
Empower your diners and give them the opportunity to do their bit to save the planet, plus you can show off your green credentials.