Solid Waste Management, Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling

for Food Services

Following are suggested ways in which the food service industry can practice solid waste management, reduction, reuse and recycling:

• Conduct a waste audit to determine a baseline for future waste reductions.
• Formally ask suppliers to reduce packaging. Develop a “take back” program with vendors to return crates, pallets, and other packing materials.
• Provide waste reduction education to staff and employees and routinely inspect trash bins to ensure that best practices are being followed.
• Reduce and reuse paper by:
• • Purchasing and setting photocopiers and printers to print on both sides;
  • Distributing information to customers, staff, and business associates via email rather than hard copy;
  • Eliminating use of fax cover sheets;
  • Distributing documents using routing slips, bulletin board, or scanning into email rather than printing individual copies for staff members;
  • Using both sides of printing paper and using the reverse side of printing paper for printing rough drafts;
  • Streamlining operational systems that utilize paper;
• Reuse envelopes for inter-office mail.
• Set and use fax and copy machines to copy documents directly to computers rather than printing a new copy.
• Request to be taken off of mailing lists of unneeded catalogs and print advertisements.
• Routinely inspect internal mailing lists to minimize unnecessary direct mailing to your customers.
• Email or post company memos to reduce unnecessary copies.
• Institute reusable methods of informing customers of specials rather than one-time use printed documents.
• write up weekly schedules and prep schedules using reusable products such as a laminate sheet and grease pencil or dry erase board.
• Avoid providing customers with paper napkins.
• Provide straws in approved dispensers and avoid use of individually wrapped straws.
• Provide reusable coasters rather than disposable ones.
• Donate obsolete or unwanted equipment, furniture, drapes, and carpeting to charity.
• Eliminate use of Styrofoam (polystyrene) and other difficult to recycle products; if necessary, develop "difficult to recycle" programs if volumes warrant.
• Donate left over furniture, silverware, and old linens to charity or local artisans and craftsmen.
• Donate unused food to a community food bank or compost site.
• Purchase products, such as condiments, cleaning supplies, and food in bulk and in concentrated form when possible.
• Offer reusable products such as glass cups, cotton linens, and refillable condiment dispensers. Avoid using disposable products.
• Distribute condiments and napkins from behind the counter or upon request.
• Institute a purchasing policy that gives preference to products with high recycling content.
• Ensure that materials such as brochures and marketing materials are printed on paper with high recycled content (at least 35%) and use soy ink.
• Purchase antiques and furniture from local vendors.
• Reuse damaged napkins and table cloths as cleaning rags or craft torn and worn linens into other usable items, e.g., aprons.
• Reuse newspaper, shredded paper, and incoming packaging materials (bags, boxes, peanuts) for company packaging and shipping needs.
• Institute a composting program for yard and food waste. Mulch grass clippings and avoid bagging.
• Invite customers to bring personal food scraps and compostable items to the work site.
• When disposable products must be used, purchase compostable products such as corn-based cutlery.
• Purchase recyclable toner cartridges.
• Encourage wait staff to conserve unopened condiment packets.
• Purchase products in reusable, returnable containers.
• Use non-bleached napkins, paper towels, and coffee filters.
• Provide alternatives to individual plastic water bottles such as water pitchers and point of use water filters.
• Reduce waste from expired stock by using effective inventory control, such as just-in-time purchasing, effective labeling systems, and last in/first out.
• Routinely evaluate serving portion sizes.
• Purchase boiled eggs that are shelled in bulk.
• Use best practices to reduce leftover spoilage, e.g., reusing sensitive food first, pre-cooling steam table hot foods before placing into cooler, and storing hot leftover foods from different station in separate containers.
• Use best practices to prevent accidental glassware and china breakage, and place rubber mats around dishwashing stations.
• Install high efficiency hand-dryers to minimize paper towel usage.
• Provide incentives and discounts to customers who use refillable mugs and to-go containers, and encourage employees to use reusable mugs and cups.
• Ensure that appointed staff inspect produce and other products before accepting deliveries.
• Eliminate paper towels in restrooms and use cloths, roll type cloths, or air dryers.
• Reduce amount of packaging needed for take-out orders.
• Serve carbonated beverages from a dispensing unit rather than individual bottles or cans.
• Use reusable hairnets or hats.
• Routinely inspect and clean cooler and freezer to check for fallen food behind shelving that might spoil.
• Develop a method to minimize "over-prepping" food.
• Use eatable garnish.
• Use rechargeable batteries.
• Provide cigarette disposal bins in smoking areas. Purchase durable goods of sufficient quality to allow reuse, refinishing, and/or reupholstering.
• Ensure proper disposal of hazardous materials such as aerosol cans, solvents, and other potentially hazardous materials.
• Use preventative maintenance on equipment to reduce risk of replacement.
• Provide and publicize recycling bins across business property.
• Begin or enlarge a recycling program to include:
• • Aluminum
  • Glass
  • Office mix
  • Batteries
  • Yard waste
  • Electronics
  • Plastic
  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Newspaper
  • Ink cartridges and laser toner cartridges
  • Phone books
  • Fluorescent light tubes
  • Electronics such as computers and televisions
  • Carpeting