Foodservice and the Environment. Small ideas with big impact.

Written By Prism Hospitality Group

by Bernadette Ventura

1.      Deploy technology:  Incoming student and workforce populations expect it!

  • Lose the clipboard and manage all inventory functions electronically, including taking inventory, ordering, checking-in, etc.

  • Use guest facing technologies like QR coded menus; order kiosks; APP ordering; and self-checkout. Eliminate receipts unless by guest request.

  • Aim to work entirely paperless. “Walk the talk” by distributing reports and dashboards electronically only. 

  • Lose the other clipboard and conduct all operations evaluations/audits via tablet or phone, delivering results electronically. 

2.      Recycle:  You might say, “we already recycle.”  I’ve seen many sites where there are receptacles for recycling, yet find mixed trash and recyclables in them.  There is a way, and it takes persistence and ongoing education. Once a program is implemented, follow-up with periodic audits for accuracy, more education and champions of the program. 

3.      Minimize food waste:

  • Purchase from local farms and purveyors whenever possible.  This not only supports the local farmer/economy, it also minimizes the distance products must travel to get to you.

  • Manage inventory and food storage properly.  Don’t over-order; use FIFO; audit production records vs. sales; and collect and audit waste.

  • Have all cooks and food production teams set aside waste for your Chef to inspect and track, prior to discarding. Your chef will likely identify a method by which a product can be more efficiently prepared, or ways in which some of the perceived waste might have been used. There are also electronic systems to track waste. Back to #1 – deploy tech!

  • Give away coffee grounds to guests for use in their gardens, packing them in biodegradable paper bags.

  • Offer delicious vegan menu items.  Animal proteins contribute to carbon emissions while plants help generate carbon dioxide and use far less water in production.

  • Add an herb or microgreen growing cabinet.  Talk about Local!

  • Use normal portion sizes as suggested by the USDA.  More isn’t always more!

4.      Reduce trash:  The EPA estimates that at least 60% of all restaurant/foodservice trash is food waste! Below are just a few tried and true options for trash reduction. 

  • Compost: While there are some challenges related to composting, often to do with transportation and/or proximity to packaging locations, it has the potential to work at many locations.  Read more about composting here.

  • Pulping/Grinding: A pulper pulverizes food waste into a slurry, then extracts the water. A shredder grinds the waste and then presses it to force out the liquids. These systems claim to reduce trash by >80%. 

  • Dehydrating:  Dehydrating also reduces food waste by >80%.  They work by applying heat to dehydrate. 

  • Digesters: Aerobic digesters turns food trash into gray water that gets released into the sewer system. Learn more at the link below from Waste Today.

5.      Eliminate plastic bottled beverages:  Include a strategy that replaces bottled water with filtered regular and bubbly water dispensers.  Consider installing fun beverage fountains like Coke’s Freestyle and Pepsi’s SodaStream.  Involve your audience distributing insulated tumblers with lids, and, if continuing to sell canned beverages, distribute cozies. It’s important to educate and involve your audience as this can be an initial inconvenience.  Include facts like the number of plastic bottled beverages used each year at a specific site, and, make an impact by illustrating the distance the bottles would span if placed end to end, such as, “New York to California” or “up and down Mt. Everest”.  Weight also makes for a powerful statement.

6.      Remove paper and plastic cups: Distribute hot/cold insulated tumblers with lids and ban the paper cup.  Again, educate and involve your audience (see comments in #5). 

7.      Use reusable clamshell containers:  Click here to read about one implementation of the reusable clamshell program.   

8.      Use grab & go containers made from post-consumer waste and compostable products.  Even if they go into landfill, compostable products will break down if they get air and water, unlike Styrofoam.

9.      If redesigning, assess your current impact: When it’s time to re-assess the environmental impact of your operation, consider just a few impactful actions such as:

  • Insist on furniture and decor that are made from recycled and repurposed materials.

  • Donate or recycle your old furniture and equipment.

  • Use Energy Star-rated equipment.

  • Have a lighting assessment done to ensure you are using the most energy efficient lighting. In fact, conduct an entire energy audit!

  • Include sensor operated faucets for hand sinks. In fact, conduct an entire water audit.

  • Consider hydroponic gardens.   

If you’re building a new site, make sure your foodservice design firm or architect has a sustainability expert on the team.

10.   Aim for the Green Restaurant Certification.  Go for it!

Prism Hospitality Group would be happy to help you implement the initiatives outlined above.  Contact us for a complimentary assessment!

Prism Hospitality Group
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