Practicing "Good Food Waste" forms part of CBRE Global aims in respect to Sustainability whilst ensuring that we also do our part with our suppliers providing best-in-class practices and displaying social responsibility. Sustainability is a Global objective and we all must consider any options during the Contracting and / or Transition phase to ensure we are delivering on Global Best practices.
8 Great Examples of Food Waste Management Practices
FS-051 Ver 1.2 (Aug 23)
1. Agree to purchase a percentage of goods from local suppliers
2. Implement food waste tracking measures in Back Of House (BOH) operations; educate associates on how to minimize waste and better utilize whole ingredients
4. Recycle menu items as able; develop menus that cross-utilize ingredients; remove menu items that yield high waste
3. Utilize FIFO (first-in-first-out) inventory management3. Utilize FIFO (first-in-first-out) inventory management
6. Provide recycling & composting education (and signage) to customers and clients as able
5. Implement pre- and post-consumer composting as able
8. When and where able, offer items in bulk versus single use
7. Commit to quarterly waste audits
Refer to following page for additional information
Food Services
Sustainability and Good Waste Practices
Useful Information
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According to a recent EPA study, restaurants account for 22 to 33 billion pounds of food waste annually. Understandably, eliminating all of this waste will be next to impossible, but steps can be taken to reduce and better manage it. Without having a system in place to handle waste, all of the discarded food will end up in a landfill which accounts for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond the direct environmental impact, unused food is an unnecessary expense and lost revenue potential. Restaurants typically operate on very thin profit margins and having to throw food away before it can even help make you money is counter-productive.
Here are several ways to reduce waste and improve inventory management within the restaurant or Cafe.
The Biggest Contributors to Restaurant and Cafeteria Food Waste
Restaurant waste can be broken down into two categories:
- “Pre-point-of-sale waste”, before and while food is prepared
- “Post-point-of-sale waste”, after the food is served
Food waste that occurs before the point of sale typically comes from inventory going bad and food discarded during preparation. Packaging and containers from product deliveries are another significant source of restaurant waste.
Controlling food waste after serving it entails proper disposal of leftover food and utilizing eco-friendly packaging for leftover and take-out food. Take-out packaging accounts for a large portion of waste that can be allocated to restaurants. While you can’t determine what guests do with their leftovers once they leave, you can provide to-go boxes made from sustainable materials that are compostable, biodegradable, or made from post-consumer recycled content.
Key Challenges with Restaurant and Cafeteria waste management
Inventory management
Without regularly scheduled inventory checks to monitor the amount of perishable goods in stock, restaurants will be left with spoiled products. Poor monitoring of buying trends and selling trends also leads to waste.
Employee culture
Creating a green culture involving all members of the staff, from chef to dishwasher, is not always easy. Without the head manager or owner setting goals, leading by example, and enforcing policies, there is no team ambition or incentive for staff members to adopt sustainable practices.
Recycling
Poor or misinformed recycling policies and habits are an issue in many restaurants. Making recycling a priority can be difficult when employees’ time is stretched thin and only focused on tasks that directly drive sales and profits.
Composting
Composting also poses a challenge to restaurants. Due to the extra time and effort required to maintain healthy compost, the practice tends to not be a priority for many Restaurant owners. However, establishing an efficient and effective composting program is arguably the most important portion of a restaurant’s waste management program.
Counting inventory is a tedious, yet necessary, part of running a successful Restaurant or Cafeteria. Closely monitoring and routinely recording your inventory provides a detailed look at where food waste comes from and how these inefficiencies may be avoided. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the staff, both front-of-house and back-of-house, will allow a plan to manage food waste that occurs during daily hours of operation. Understanding exactly how and why food waste losses occur will allow you to plan waste reduction initiatives more confidently and lower waste-related costs.
Inventory Management
Creating an eco-conscious culture within the Restaurant or Cafeteria and establishing policies to guide employees’ waste habits will be key to achieving green (ESG) goals.
Clearly communicating waste management policies and empowering employees to be environmental stewards will set the tone of the green culture and drive success through the engagement of management.
Further, a successful green culture requires active guidance and engagement from the head manager. This is a critical opportunity for leaders to lead the charge and encourage their colleagues and employees to follow.
Not only does a green business culture increase employee engagement and support goal attainment, it may also attract potential new hires, partners, and customers. Studies have shown that Millennials and Gen Z feel strongly about world issues and are highly motivated to support organizations committed to sustainability.
A Green Sustainable Culture supports goal attainment
Optimizing recycling efforts through proper handling of packaging, single-use containers, and other materials is an important and simple way to reduce our carbon footprint. It is critical to create a recycling procedure that does not hinder a fast-paced food service environment. Through thoughtful planning and placing recycling bins conveniently around the premises, staff can easily sort recycling while keeping the business running smoothly.
Coordinating with suppliers to have produce delivered in less packaging and switching to eco-friendly packaging alternatives are other ways to reduce non-recyclable waste. Don’t forget that contacting the local recycling facility to confirm which materials are accepted is a simple and necessary step to ensure proper recycling practices. Implementing an effective recycling procedure will help reduce waste and process it appropriately.
Recycling
While composting continues to gain popularity worldwide, this microorganism-driven method of waste management may still seem foreign or impractical to some food service operators. However, it is a tried and true way to eliminate food waste-to-landfill. New modern equipment makes it both practical and cost-effective to compost food waste on site. Composting solutions and equipment take the task of responsibly discarding food waste and make it easy to implement.
One step in the process of developing a composting program is to decide on the best location to install a composting station. If there is inadequate space or a suitable climate to compost naturally outdoors, solutions exist to process food waste indoors such as composting, and bio-digesters which also utilize the power of microorganisms to break down organic waste into useful byproducts and help to reduce our carbon footprint. Many states now have composting legislation that must be observed.
Composting
Food Services
Managing Waste
Useful Information
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FS-051 Ver 1.2 (Aug 23)
The waste hierarchy is a simple ranking system used for the different waste management options according to which is the best for the environment. The most preferred option is to prevent waste, and the least preferred choice is disposal in landfill sites.
What is the Waste Hierarchy?
Avoiding food becoming waste in the first place is essential and the most preferred option in the waste hierarchy.
When we take action to prevent waste from arising in the first place, there is simply less waste. Less waste means less need to reuse products, less disposal and most importantly, less waste at landfill sites.
We can prevent waste by using fewer and avoiding unnecessary materials during design, manufacturing and packaging products.
- Re-designing food programs and ingredients
- Re-designing packaging using less materials
- Make-To-Order
- Carry less inventory
- Use more sustainable materials
Explanation
Examples
The Waste Hierarchy
When waste is created, the waste hierarchy prioritises reuse. Where possible, reusing products and materials before it becomes waste is the next best option.
- Food rescue-donations
- Re-purpose food
Re-use
Recycling is the most environmentally friendly solution when it comes to disposing of waste. Recycling turns waste into a new items or products, reducing the amount of raw materials required.
- Composting
- Soil conditioners
- Worm farms
- Biotechnology solutions
Recycle
Reprocessing food waste and other materials forms part of the recycling revolution creating new from old
- Conversion to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical
- Conversion to cosmetics
Reprocess
Recovery is the next best option when considering options in the waste hierarchy. For waste that can't be recycled, it may be possible to recover energy in the form of "waste to energy"
- Incinerations
- Anaerobic digestions for energy recovery
Recovery
The least sustainable option in the waste hierarchy is landfill and incineration when energy recovery isn't possible
- Landfill
- Incineration for non-energy recovery use
- Food waste going to the sewer
Dispose
Preferred !!!
Least Desirable!!!
Food Services
The Waste Hierarchy
Useful Information
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FS-051 Ver 1.2 (Aug 23)