With each passing decade, food scarcity is becoming a global issue. But on a contradictory note, we will also see that the food wastes from hotel industries are also increasing. So, it does become very important to realize the importance of reducing and managing food waste. And if this reason is not enough, you should consider the fact that about 10% in fast-food restaurants and 12% in full-service restaurants of total food goes to waste. Which means all those parts that would have otherwise become your profit is literally going into a trash bin.

We all know the 3 R’s of waste management, namely Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. But the real problems comes when implementing them. Here we give you a simple guide for incorporating it in daily practise.

How to reduce food waste

We have listed down a 3 step process to make sure that the reduction process becomes smooth and simple.

Step 1 – Measure the food wasted

First you simply start by sorting all your wastes into three bins, labeled as preparation waste, spoilage waste and plate waste.  Initially, you will need to take a record of all wasted food for a sample period, say for a week. This will help you evaluate the major source contributing to wastage and set a baseline for future target setting.

Step 2 – Make a plan of action to reduce food wastage

Your action plan should include methods that focus on reusing supplies in such a manner that wastage is ultimately reduced. Some of the actions you can include in the plan are discussed below.

Prevent spoilage

This is the most basic step towards reducing wastage. Here you need to make sure to review stocks for shelf life. You should make sure that stock is rotated on a “First in, first out” basis as well. You also need to store stock correctly, i.e. labeled with dates, in the right packaging and at the right temperature.

Plan menu and ordering options

The best way to reduce your waste generation is planning your menu and its plating proportions. Try to repurpose some of the vegetable shavings for garnishing and maybe fish bones and other pieces to make stock. Small tricks like these go a long way in reducing preparation waste.

While plating, remember, give your customers a choice of portion size. Because proportion control will not only reduce wastage when the customer is done eating but it also helps in maintaining cost consistency. You could also offer second servings and refills on smaller portions. It is a good idea to offer your customers an option to get their leftovers in a take- away packaging.

Step 3 – Reviewing progress at regular intervals

Speaking to staff to get their feedback on a regular basis keeps you upto date with the progress and keeps the people more involved and motivated.

Waste disposal solutions

The most ideal solution to waste disposal is to stop food from becoming waste. But, since this is not really possible all the time, all kitchens end up generating some amount of waste. Some simple solutions to mitigate this issue in the most cost effective and eco friendly manner are:

Use Excess food to feed the hungry

The most justified thing that can be done about excess food is that it goes to fill hungry stomachs. You could donate it to food banks or charities, they will ensure that your food reaches the needy.

You could also turn a part of your preparation waste into cattle feed or if you have excess of meat waste, you could use it to feed the stray animals in an area away from your hotel kitchen

Just make sure you do not end up making the grave mistake of distributing any excess food among the staff.

Recycle by composting or anaerobic digestion

A great way of recycling is composting. It is a natural and eco friendly way to convert any organic and biodegradable waste into fertilizers. Alternatively, you could recycle the same organic waste for anaerobic digestion which will produce biogas on the decomposition of waste. This biogas, a very efficient fuel, can be used to generate electricity and/or heat.

These are very simple yet extremely effective methods that are used by many hotels across the world. You too could implement them easily and experience going green while making profit and generating goodwill.

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