Creating a Low-Waste Restaurant

The phrases “eco-friendly”, “zero-waste”, and “low-plastic” are being thrown around a lot lately. Some people are so passionate about saving the planet that they are calling others to a new level of sustainability, while others are trying to run their businesses, supply product that everyone will like, and find it difficult to jump on the new bandwagon. If you are a Missouri restaurant who wants to help reduce waste, while also not driving your bottom line to the bottom of the barrel - here are a few tips and ways you can improve your waste output.


Food Waste

The fact is, restaurants will go through a LOT of food - and that generally creates food waste. This can be waste from prepping the food, and it can involve waste from guests who leave food behind. Studies are showing that the restaurant industry alone generates about 11.4 million tons of food waste (out of the 63 million tons total). This is mind-boggling, but there are ways to reduce these numbers. Other restaurants are doing some really cool things to reduce the amount of waste they are producing, whether this means making stocks from bones and vegetable cuttings, or even pesto from strawberry tops and more. It’s actually incredibly amazing and inspiring to see how many different ways restaurants are using their creativity to all but eliminate the amount of food waste coming from their facility.

Other options include finding ways to compost the food waste that is coming from your restaurant. From there, some restaurants are actually returning the compost back to the farmers who they buy from. It’s truly the circle of life, and there are some really creative ways to solve the problems.

Packaging Waste 

This one tends to get everyone emotional, as plastic straws become the highlights of headlines, and everyone is either for or against the ban. Some consumers want to save the turtles and they bring their own straws when they dine out. Others just want a decent drinking straw that actually works and doesn’t suck - or … not suck. The point is, some solutions can make everyone happy, but it may take some creativity and hopefully not too much expense on your end. From compostable straws to other more recyclable options (like paper), we can all work together to find something that works for everyone.

Other types of packaging and paper waste that come from restaurants:

  • Receipt paper
  • Takeout Containers
  • Plastic wrap
  • Food packaging
  • Rubber gloves
  • Hairnets
  • Trash bags
  • Napkins
  • Pre-packaged condiments


The fact is, everything will require baby steps. You won’t be able to fix everything immediately, and some things may not even be able to be fixed. There will always be health requirements that keep your employees using rubber gloves for things, and maybe there are good options to replace them. But, with a little research and commitment, you can make a difference by looking for recyclable or compostable packaging items.

Water & Oil Waste

Water and oil waste are also a huge contributor to the restaurant industry waste. Some restaurants can have their used oil picked up and used for bio-diesel. This is a great way to solve a problem, so take a look and see if there is anyone around you who offers this type of service. Water waste is just a fact of life, but there are a few steps you can take to help reduce the impact. Sometimes it’s just a simple as waiting to start the dishwasher until it’s completely full instead of running a partial load, or not filling the sink completely to wash fruits or vegetables.


Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

Fast Fix may not be able to help you buy compostable straws for your restaurant, but we can help you reduce the need to buy brand new equipment by repairing commercial restaurant equipment in Missouri! Our team of experts can not only help you get your equipment back up and running (instead of tossing it!), but we can also help you keep it lasting longer by signing up for our commercial kitchen equipment maintenance services in Missouri. If you are located around St. Louis, Columbia, Jefferson City, or the Lake of the Ozarks (as well as select locations in Western Illinois), Fast Fix LLC would be honored to repair your restaurant equipment and then help it last longer through regular maintenance. Visit our website to learn more about our services, and if you find that you do need more equipment, we can help with that, too.

Fast Fix LLC. Restaurant Equipment Service & Repair - 

Walk-In One Call Does It All! 




Fast Fix LLC. Restaurant Services
3362 State Road JJ
Kingdom City, MO 65262

Columbia: 573-544-0456
St. Louis: 636-327-8349


https://www.fastfixllc.com/about

Location: Kingdom City, MO, USA

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