Food/ Kitchen Waste
Firstly, consider Conducting an Audit to get your facts straight.Then:
Reduce:
- Reduce the size of meal portions if majority of customers are leaving plates unfinished.
- To avoid food spoilage and dehydration, buy less of it more often.
- If possible, prepare food when ordered.
- When freezing food, wrap tightly and label correctly with date to reduce freezer burn and spoilage due to waste.
- Purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
- Purchase non-perishable shelved items in bulk when storage cash flow permits.
- Buy vegetables pre-cut when price is equivalent to purchasing the whole item.
Maypole Bakery, who prepares vegetables for salads and pizza toppings, sends its vegetable scraps onto another business for feeding livestock. - Buy meats in bulk and then cut to size. Larger cuts of meat will keep for longer if stored correctly.
- Consider purchasing shelled eggs when using three or more cases per week.
- Store perishables and raw fruit and vegetables in airtight containers to reduce spoilage and dehydration.
Reuse:
- Use vegetable and meat trimmings as the basis for stocks.
- Reuse leftover food that has been refrigerated correctly within two days to reduce spoilage and waste.
- Re-hydrate wilted vegetables such as celery, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, etc, by trimming off the bottom of the stalk and then immersing the vegetable in warm water (about 35 degrees Celsius) for 15-20 minutes.
- Use refillable condiment dispensers, health department approved, instead of using individual packets.
Recycle:
- Purchase products from suppliers who use recyclable packaging. Work with your recycling contractor to reduce contamination and ensure that your wastes do get recycled.
- If possible, set up a composting facility and use the compost to grow your own produce, or to help make your landscaping a success.
Make your aims as public as possible. Inform staff about your intentions and why. Offer further incentives to staff to show your appreciation for their efforts. But remember, "waste reduction is everybody's responsibility".
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