It is estimated that just one restaurant can create over 2,000 total pounds of disposed waste every week. If this fact worries you, maybe it is time to consider how your food establishment can recycle all of the waste. While you may think that the process to becoming an eco-friendly restaurant manager is costly and time-consuming, you would be shocked at how easy it can be and how much money you are able to save. Read on for the ideal restaurant recycling guide to help get your management practices headed in a greener direction!

Which Materials Can You Actually Recycle?

Before starting restaurant recycling, find out which materials your current waste management provider recycles and how they have to be separated. Once you learn what can be recycled and what can’t, talk to both your front and back-of-house staff, so they are able to understand how to properly dispose of their recyclables. Also, make sure to emphasize to your employees how important it is to rinse out containers before they throw them into their respective bins. Any food particles left on recycled items might contaminate and ruin everything, so it is smart to have them cleaned before they are collected. A lot of recyclables are made of aluminum, paper, cardboard, and steel. Plastics like jars, bottles, and jugs can be recycled. Still, plastic bags or anything made of Styrofoam are not collected by recycled facilities since they’re hard to recycle. Glass items can be recycled too, but make sure you check to see if they should be sorted together by color.

How to Properly Recycle Food Waste

Restaurant food waste could be broken down into two categories: pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. Pre-consumer waste includes things that have been thrown away before food is served to guests, like rotten food that was not used, byproducts from the prep process, or packaging that your ingredients came in. Post-consumer food waste includes scraps that your customers leave behind in the dining area. Before any waste is recycled, it is vital to run a food waste audit on your entire restaurant to pinpoint the volume and the type of food that is being thrown out.

Over 5,000 Products For Your Home or Business

At H.C. Walterhoefer, we have over 5,000 products ranging from paper goods to cleaning supplies to meet your personal or business needs. If you want something that we do not offer in our store, just ask us for it, and we will do our best to get it for you. Our store has everything you need! Stop by today to get supplies for your next event, all your restaurant needs, and the best cleaning products at the best prices. We even deliver! So call us today at 410-368-5070. We are located at 2331 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21230 and we are open from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ to stay up to date with everything H.C. Walterhoefer.