Restaurant Waste Disposal: How to Set Up Your Restaurant’s Waste Management Plan
The food and beverage industry continues to struggle with restaurant waste. Any establishment serving food should have a restaurant waste management plan and incorporate it into its HACCP strategy.
It’s a responsibility under the law to adhere to the sector’s best practices that help prevent food contamination. Keep reading to learn how to create a waste management plan that is suitable for your restaurant’s needs.
What a Restaurant Waste Management Plan Is
A restaurant waste management plan outlines a pre-defined method of salvaging and disposing of trash that a restaurant produces in its daily operations.
The waste management plan lays out a strategy for dealing with various types of garbage in a way that causes little harm to stakeholders. The disposal of different kinds of waste, such as restaurant oil disposal, necessitates the use of distinct approaches.
How to Create a Restaurant Waste Management Plan
Follow the steps below to create a restaurant waste management plan.
Step 1: Waste Classification
As a restaurant owner, you need to identify and track the various forms of garbage you’ll need to collect and store.
Step 2: Routine Preventative Measures for Trash Disposal and Removal
Consider the actions you need to take and the frequency with which you’ll perform them per the restaurant waste disposal plan. Every kind of restaurant waste must have its bin. For example, you would want a separate bin for restaurant oil disposal.
Furthermore, a thorough assessment of potential risks should be part of your restaurant waste management plan. Your risk assessment needs to consider the availability of usable space and storage bins. Maintain consistency between the main space and the waste bin’s cleaning routine.
Always use a bin made of sturdy and safe material that is easy to transport and has a secure lid and clear label. Provide your staff with restaurant waste management training, and establish a regular cleaning timetable and guidelines.
Step 3: Form a Team That Will Handle Restaurant Waste Disposal
You might decide to outsource your waste audit or assign the responsibility to your staff. The amount of workforce personnel will vary based on the nature and size of your restaurant. Since the restaurant workers know how much individual ingredients go into various cuisines, it is ideal if they also participate in meal preparation.
The individuals in charge of clearing tables and washing dishes know what kind of trash clients leave behind. When choosing workers for this position, looking for people with an analytical mindset is crucial. These workers will have a more in-depth understanding of your restaurant’s waste disposal plans.
If you choose to involve more staff in the cleaning task, you’ll have to select a leader who can ensure everyone is on the same page and always adhering to the plan. But most importantly, train everyone about proper storage, recycling, and monitoring techniques.
Step 4: Waste Management Documentation
Besides developing a restaurant waste management plan, you should consider inherent hazards. You may also wish to speak with your customers during the trash audit. In that case, you will learn what is sufficient and the amount of food you would be wasting.
With a food wastage report, you can keep tabs on your invoices and examine the expenses contributing to higher waste.
What Types of Waste Are Common in Restaurants
Here are the various types of waste you will find in restaurants.
Food Scraps
The majority of garbage in a typical restaurant is made up of food leftovers. Food scraps come in various forms, including:
Leftover produce
Uneaten food
Products beyond their expiration date
Implement a food waste journal to reduce food waste in your restaurant.
Containers
Your kitchen staff might use food containers during meal preparation. You may reduce the quantity of waste you take to the dumpsite by recycling glass, plastic, and cardboard containers.
Paper Waste
The quantity of paper trash you generate each day depends on the establishment you run. Some waste products from paper supply materials include tissue paper, tablecloths, and sachets. To reduce paper waste at your restaurant, start using biodegradable paper napkins.
How to Dispose of These Types of Restaurant Waste
Below are several methods that you can implement to properly manage your restaurant’s waste disposal.
Recycling and Donating
Common recyclable materials include paper, glass, metal, and plastic. Recycling trash rather than dumping it is better for the environment.
Alternatively, if you over-prepare and customers don’t end up eating it all, consider giving it to those in need. Get in touch with a non-governmental organization in your area to see if they would want to receive surplus food.
Composting
You can either use a composting machine or store the food scraps underground for a specific period to make compost. You may utilize the resulting composite as fertilizer. Nevertheless, the process is tedious and demands a considerable amount of space.
Incineration
Incineration is the best choice to eliminate potentially dangerous or poisonous food waste. The resulting ash is a valuable source of fertilizers for agriculture. The pollution from waste incinerators varies with the composition of the garbage you’re burning and the technology you employ to produce the heat necessary. The procedure makes it simple to get rid of harmful trash.
Sanitary Landfill
It entails depositing the food scraps in a landfill with a protective layer at the bottom of the container. The barrier stops hazardous materials from seeping into the groundwater. However, the sanitary landfill technique is not popular since it is the primary contributor to potentially dangerous greenhouse gasses like methane.
Grease Bin
If you’re dealing with restaurant oil disposal, then you’ll need to make use of a grease bin or grease dumpster. This is an environmentally friendly way to dispose of leftover grease and oil from fryers. You can schedule restaurant oil disposal pickups from grease collection companies. These companies will heat, filter, and purify the grease to turn it into fuel.
Set Up Your Waste Management Plan With Confidence
If you know what you’re doing, dealing with restaurant waste shouldn’t be challenging. With clear goals in place, it’s simple to cut down on trash and monitor progress. The above article exemplifies the best practices for restaurant waste management to promote environmental conservation from the effects of poor food disposal. Contact our team today for restaurant waste disposal services.