How Restaurants Are Going Green

Recycling efforts are picking up steam among restaurants, saving businesses money and showcasing the industry’s concerted attempts to participate in providing a cleaner environment.

iStock_000034871912SmallRecycling is a normal everyday practice for about 65% of restaurant operators, according to the National Restaurant Association. Placing importance on recycling affects the success of businesses in the restaurant business.

In fact, the National Restaurant Association reports that 60% of consumers prefer to dine at restaurants that recycle, and 51% of those consumers are willing to pay about 10% more at restaurants that choose to recycle.

In October 2013, the energy and environmental news trade publication, Environmental Leader, profiled two restaurants that are investing in recycling efforts.

Killarney House located in Maryland and The Irish Channel located in Washington DC are realizing the benefits of using recycling machines from the manufacturer PEL Waste Reduction Equipment.

The restaurants are cutting their waste disposal costs and saving space by using the waste reduction company’s cardboard balers and under-counter bottle crushers. PEL claims that by using the equipment, the cardboard volume in the restaurants’ waste bins has been reduced by 80%.

The machines make little noise, use little energy and are equipped with standard plugs. The baler compacts cardboard and plastic into bales for recycling, and the cycle time takes less than a minute. The machines are easy to load and operate and the restaurants require less frequent garbage pickups.

Will other restaurants follow suit by increasing their recycling efforts and investing in similar machinery to make the process easier? As we head into the new year, it might be a good resolution for restaurant managers/owners to think about better ways to save energy and make the environment cleaner.

Some cities also offer free resources to restaurants to guide them as to how to reduce and recycle their waste. One such resource is the City of Los Angeles’ Restaurant Food Waste Recycling program.

Information provided by the program explains that waste from restaurants is 76% organic and completely recyclable. One restaurant can dispose of as much as 50 tons of organic waste each year.

But that material can be recycled into compost instead of sitting in a landfill. Through the city’s program, restaurants can save money on disposal costs by placing compostable materials (food scraps, coffee grounds, paper products, etc.) in bins.

The materials are then picked up by the city and turned into fertilizer as well as soil amendments that can be used to improve the soil. If you’re a restaurant owner, check with your local city department to see if it has a similar program, or other programs specific to restaurants.

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