Food/ Kitchen Waste Case Studies

Thunderbird Hotel/Totem Pole Restaurant; Bloomington, Minnesota

Objective

Reduce waste volumes after disposal costs more than doubled in one year (from $US35.75/ton in 1990 to $US95/ton in 1991).

Actions

Separated food waste from other recyclables to be collected for recycling as animal feed by a local food by-product recycling firm.

Outcomes

Reduced volume of restaurant's total waste by 50 percent. Reduced rubbish bin pick up from every five days to once every three to four weeks. Recycled 4.75 tons of food waste each month. Total savings per month were $US323.25 for food waste

Source: Enviro Sense- http://es.epa.gov/new/business/sbdc/sbdc101.htm

Wynanga Park Winery, Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia

Objective

Wanted to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill

Actions

Invested in a worm farm to take organic wastes. Food wastes were fed to the pet pig.

Outcomes

The twenty minutes a week required to manage the worm farm was considerably less than the trip required to take waste to landfill. The winery was also investigating using the 'worm juice' and castings as a replacement to purchased fertilizers. Total savings made as a result of reduction in waste disposal due to recycling was $800 annually.

Source: EcoRecycle, Victoria, Australia.

Beaumonts Pies and Cakes, Victoria, Australia

Objective

Wanted to reduce product losses and waste disposal costs.

Actions

• Educated employees in waste reduction methods.
• Investigated second hand scales for weighing process waste, prior to tipping it into waste compactor.
• Eliminated contamination of pastry trimmings for reuse back into production.
• Reused grease-proof paper

Outcomes

• 25% weight reduction in food waste collected.
• 75% volume reduction in other general waste
• Total savings of $4,400 annually.

Source: EcoRecycle, Victoria, Australia.