How many times have you gone to a restaurant for dinner and been delivered a plate that was overflowing with food? While some people may be able to eat their own weight in steak and French fries in one sitting, most people are going to leave a significant amount of food on their plate. Many of those will choose not to bring home their leftovers. Back in the kitchen, chefs are throwing out food left and right…from your plate and from their pantry and refrigerators. The amount of food that restaurants throw away every day is staggering.
Think About This: The ‘average’ restaurant (and this is obviously from a wide range of sizes) disposes of more than 50 tons of organic waste every year. If that one restaurant was able to find an alternate way of disposing of or using this organic waste, they would be keeping 5 garbage truck loads of trash out of the landfill. That is just ONE restaurant…imagine how much waste reduction would occur if every single restaurant were to stop throwing away their food waste!
Why do restaurants throw away all of this food instead of finding alternate uses for it? Because it is cheaper and easier to toss it in the trash. What are some things that they COULD be doing with it? Here are a few ideas that restaurants in certain areas of the country are initiating:
- Donating these materials to local farmers for use as animal feed. Liscenced Garbage Feeders can assist with this.
- Donate food that is still usable but nearing it’s expiration date to homeless shelters.
- Donate organic food waste to organizations that will compost it.
- Consider offering meals of varying sizes to patrons. Those who prefer a smaller meal can request it at a lower price. This saves the patrons money and reduces the amount of waste thrown into the trash.
There are LOTS of reasons for restaurants to look into programs like these. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects businesses from civil and criminal liability when donating food to non-profit organizations. Restaurants would be able to reduce their garbage disposal costs by finding outside sources to take leftover foods. It is also a way to significantly improve the restaurant’s image in the eyes of the public. I would certainly eat at a restaurant more often if I knew they were working to reduce their environmental impact.
- If you are a restaurant owner, check out the Integrated Waste Management Board guide called Food for Thought: A Restaurant Guide to Waste Reduction and Recycling.
- Contact the National Restaurant Association and encourage them to expand their sustainability innitiatives.
- Check out the Food Recovery and Waste Reduction Heirarchy put out by the EPA. If you are active on your town council or other civic organization, consider looking into starting a program in your area. There is a section in this guide on assistance programs available for financial help.
Reducing food waste in the restaurant business is not something many people care about. But considering how many people go to bed hungry every night, it makes me sick to think of perfectly good food heading to the landfills. And food that is not fit for human consumption still makes great compost! Vegetable scraps make great animal feed, which in turn saves the farmer money.
This is such a great program… I am wondering if any of the restaurants in Austin use this!
I love all these tips. I always wonder about that when I’m in restaurants or when I’m watching some of those cooking shows!
Many of us think about food waste in our own homes because … well … it’s such a waste of money. But restaurant food waste is more or less “outta sight, outta mind”. Thank you for bringing it to our attention and offering solutions!
Thanks for the info! I’m sharing your post with some friends.
I had honestly never thought of this, Diane. Every week your posts give me something to think about! I guess I assumed because I composted my food everyone else did too, including restaurants.
Definitely some great ideas. I hope more restaurants start using some of them.
Those are all such great tips! I have always wished restaurants would allow people to choose smaller portions for a lower cost, even the kid’s meals are enormous in many restaurants! We try to take everything home and eat it before it goes bad, but I hadn’t thought as much about what is being thrown out in the kitchen!
There are non-profits who have used tip cards to take action on issues that relate to restaurant workers. I wonder if that could work here?
I was just reading today how it would be so much better if the resturants would start worm composting. I was almost giddy at the thought of so much great, wonderful rich soil for my garden!
***I am a new follower.
I bring all my leftovers home if we go to a restaurant as well as anything that can be composted like orange peels or something. It s crazy the amount of waste from restaurants. So sad. And they wonder why people dumpster dive?!
wonderful article and I love the tips. I’d be one that would buy the smaller portions in the restaurant and wish more offered them.
great ideas! no wonder prices are so high in restuarants!
I hate this!!! There are so many homes that could use this. There are a lot of mentally ill people in homes and halfway houses who have nothing and wouldn’t sue anyone. Safeway throws stuff out too! I was so surprised to hear this!! People starving and this is what they do! What about the food banks? Eat at your own risk. There is no difference in this food than our food that has been in the fridge for a couple of days. Who is running our country anyway?