Turning Food Services BusinessesGreen &ProfitingFrom It

Zero Waste Systems Michael Webber

Bio Renew Pty Ltd. 61 2 9420 4222Michael Webber

info@biorenew.com.au

Turning Food Services

BusinessesGreen &ProfitingFrom It

Bio Renew Pty Ltd. materials published on the internet are protected by copyright law. Apart from fair dealing for the

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Introduction 6 National Initiatives 9What Our Customers Want 14New Trends 25

Catering & Institutions 29Education 52Food Costs 53

Wastage 57Preparation Wastage 58Pre-Consumer Waste 62Plate Wastage 62Spoilage 65Takeout Wastage 66

Waste Disposal 69Packaging 72Basic Practices to Start Going Green 78

Track Your Usage 78Audit Your Operation 81Set Goals 82Prioritize 82

Table of ContentsWill We Save Money? 85

Case Study Drift Bistro, Peregian Beach, Queensland 86Case Study Broadfield Youth & Community Centre, UK 87Case Study Darden Restaurants, US 88

Monitor Your Progress 89How to Engage Your Staff 95

Surveys 97Brainstorming 99Training 100

Other Resources 104What Should I Change in My Business? 108

In-House Changes 112Building and Grounds Maintenance 120

Green Marketing 124Certification and Accreditation 124Digital Marketing 126Print Marketing 128Other Resources 128

Customer Engagement 130Vision for the Future 133Next Steps 135

Organic production and preservation 135Local Food 136Local Food Sources 138Co-op Grocery Stores 141Production Contracts 142 Summary 143

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Everyone has heard the term “green” and most

people would agree that something needs to be

done to protect our planet. The dictionary definition

of a green business is “a business functioning in

a capacity where no negative impact is made on

the local or global environment, the community, or

the economy. A green business will also engage in

forward-thinking policies for environmental concerns

and policies affecting human rights” (Business

Dictionary.com).

Introduction

Clearly this present day definition involves a lot more

than recycling a few bottles or newspapers. Going

green involves different facets of the business.

These include water usage, waste reduction and

recycling, sustainable furnishings and building

materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables and

chemical and pollutants reduction. Many countries

have recognized green non-profit organizations that

monitor business progress and award designations

where appropriate.

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Local and federal governmental authorities and world

organizations are all working diligently to look at the big

picture when it comes to food and food delivery too.

Their primary target is to secure a healthy food supply

for our world’s population. Sustainable development

for food is on the table in practically every country of

the world because it is a real threat to the survival of

the human race if it is not taken seriously. By working

to guarantee healthy food production and food delivery

today our food chain will be protected in the future.

This means we cannot cause major damage to our

environment anymore - period.

This move towards sustainability includes individuals,

communities, businesses and government. Of course,

food service businesses must be involved in the food

chain as well. We know

there are social, economic

and environmental impacts

felt from everything we

do and it is becoming

clearer every day that it is

everyone’s responsibility.

The food service industry

must step up to the plate to design out the negative

impacts when possible or at the very least minimize

them at every opportunity. The fact that governments

have strong food sector strategies and many

businesses worldwide have already embraced this

move towards sustainability indicates just how relevant

it is. According to UNEP, over half the food produced

in the world today is lost, wasted or discarded as a

result of inefficiencies in the human-managed food

chain (UNEP, The Environmental Food Crisis). We

unquestionably have a lot of work to do to achieve this.

NATIONAL INITIATIVESAustralia is clearly very concerned about the direction

our planet is taking. The 266 page Sustainable

Australia Report 2013 lists waste, water and natural

resources as three of their primary topics of focus

for the future. Waste is considered vital as “waste

disposed to landfill has high costs for our society,

from pollution and infrastructure costs to the need

to find replacement resources. By reducing waste

and increasing recycling rates, we can lessen our

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impact on the environment while saving money and

conserving resources”.

Australian statistics mirror those found worldwide.

The amount of waste is increasing at an alarming

rate and in Australia at least 48% of it is ending up in

landfills. The shocking revelation is that the majority

of this is recyclable. The amount of waste from the

food industry is very evident as approximately 32%

organic and 66% of this comes from the commercial

and industrial sectors. From these statistics it

is apparent that

improvements could

certainly be made in

how we deliver food to

the plate instead of the

waste bin.

The conservation of

natural resources also

affects the food service

industry. Sustainable

fish stocks are a

worldwide concern and Australia has done well in

stabilizing its supply as well as ensuring they are

not over-fished in the future. For timber sustainable

levels are established that are meant to protect the

region by limiting the amount of timber that can be

removed each year so the flow of wood products

continues indefinitely. Timber resources available for

commercial purposes from public lands have been

drastically reduced as these lands are set aside for

conservation. Australia is also harvesting less timber

from plantation lands, rather than more. Obviously

these reduced resources mean higher costs for new

paper and packaging production.

Fossil fuels rank as one of the most important

considerations when trying to establish sustainability

because they have such a detrimental impact on the

environment. This report also shows that Australia’s

supply of available fossil fuels is on a decline,

except for brown and black coal. Unfortunately the

environmental impact of burning coal is extremely

high including many serious health effects. The

mining process is well-documented for contributing to

dangerous solid waste products too.

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Crude oil and liquid petroleum gas are undoubtedly

following a downwards trend and this all means

higher prices for running vehicles and operating food-

related businesses. Transportation of food stuffs is

also a contributing factor to increasing food prices.

Undeniably, the negative environmental impact of

current consumption patterns is increasing and

becoming more evident. Our planet will not survive if

this trend continues. First world countries may forget

that today nearly “1 billion people go to bed hungry

each night (Danielle Nierenberg, Worldwatch – Vision

for a Sustainable World). World hunger, even in

affluent countries, is a real possibility if dramatic

change is not made starting today.

While many industries such as food production and

manufacturing have been regulated into compliance by

government bodies or have taken the initiative on the own

accord, food service facilities in most countries remain

relatively unchanged. Of course, most restaurants know

the prudence of having a good recycling program in place

for bottles, cans and paper; but little has been done about

the amount of food that still ends up in the garbage.

Considering between a third and a half of all the world`s

food never makes it to the table more attention needs to

be focused on waste.

The largest single contributor in the commercial and

industrial sector is food service activities (e.g., cafes,

restaurants, fast food

outlets). Regardless of all

this very revealing data, many

food service businesses

steadfastly refuse to

implement green changes

citing high associated costs

as the reason. Perhaps

these organizations need to

take a closer look at what is

happening with the consumer.

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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS WANTIn 2010 Unilever Food Solutions Australia commissioned

a survey of 500 Australians. The report revealed that

a whopping 80% of respondents want food service

operators to dispose of food waste responsibly and

sustainably. Even more people (86%) wanted the

amount of waste food reduced and 82 percent supported

the use of recyclable

packaging and materials.

The survey also revealed

that at least half of those

surveyed were willing

to pay more for meals

in establishments which

implement disposal plans

and are committed to

minimizing food waste.

Australia will likely follow

in the footsteps of other nations that now indicate this

figure has reached as high as 81% and climbing. The

public “no longer accepts major environmental damage

Sustainability in the food service

sector is no longer an option: it has become a

necessity

as the price for economic opportunity” (Post &

Altman, 1994, p. 66). Sustainability in the food

service sector is no longer an option: it has

become a necessity.

There is no doubt that nowadays there is a

greater awareness of green restaurant practices

and improved nutrition. Quick service restaurants

are suffering from the effects of an increased

emphasis on healthy living and a distinct shift

away from saturated fats, heavy salt and

frozen foods. Restaurants known for their fast

hamburgers and deep-fried chicken are finding

that they need to offer healthy alternatives to keep

their doors open.

Today’s restaurant visitor is knowledgeable and

will go out of their way to get what they want.

Media attention on issues such as obesity,

diabetes and heart disease make diners think

twice about consuming soft drinks, sugar and fried

foods. This move toward healthier choices makes

smaller, local establishments offering fresh fare

very appealing.

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Many restaurants now

offer organic, free-

range, “fair trade” or

sustainable products in

their businesses, such

as Oliver’s Real Foods.

Today you will see

consumers go to great

lengths to make sure

the food they consume

is pesticide and

hormone-free which is

no wonder considering

all the media coverage

of the long-term

negative effects.

For many restaurants,

knowing where their

fruit and vegetables come from presents a huge

problem as fruits and vegetables are ordered in

bulk from suppliers. The restaurant has no idea

where the food originally came from, nor how it

was handled during production. When managers

order they are generally do so through a catalog

with very limited information. If carrots are needed

one looks under vegetables checks the weight

of the bag and the cost and that’s it. These

carrots could be from the farm down the road or

one across the globe and next week it could be

different again.

Bulk ordering also makes it difficult to establish

just how fresh the produce is as it may have been

stored in the suppliers’ coolers for days or weeks.

Even after it is ordered it still must be transported

to the restaurant. Consumers know it takes time

to get this type of produce to the plate and it is

also why they prefer restaurants that use local

suppliers. This is also why green restaurants focus

on establishing local food systems strategically

connected to their restaurants.

The green movement includes supplying healthy

food and giving the consumer the opportunity

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to choose products that treat animals, food

workers and the environment fairly. Purchasing

goods at the lowest price can have adverse

consequences.

Commercially raised chickens are kept indoors

for all of their lives and they are slaughtered

sooner than free-range birds or organic birds.

Over 40% of Australian beef uses hormone

growth promotants and has done so for more

than 30 years (MLA Meat & Livestock Australia,

www.mla.com.au). The need to produce more

meat and poultry quicker to fulfill consumer

demands has led to many questionable

practices that are now being re-examined.

Restaurant chains, including McDonald’s,

Burger King (Hungry Jacks), and Wendy’s, have

announced plans to eliminate gestation crates

from their pork supply chain.

A global move towards reducing meat

consumption to conserve resources plus a larger

population of vegetarians means that the meat

and poultry industries are definitely feeling the

economic pinch of these trends. Parents are

raising their children in a meat-free household

and embedding the immorality of eating another

living creature in the next generations’ mind.

Scientific dated suggests that a plant-based

diet, which emphasizes fruits and vegetables,

grains, beans and legumes, and nuts, is better

for the body as it is rich in fiber, vitamins and

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other nutrients. Vegetarians generally eat fewer

calories and less fat, weigh less, and have a lower

risk of heart disease than non-vegetarians do. Meat

also requires much more land, water and energy to

produce. Although statistics are hotly debated, some

suggest it may take up to 11 times more total resources

to produce meat than fruit and vegetables. More and

more, those that eat meat are more discerning. They

want the assurance of a safe product and are willing to

accept a smaller portion to guarantee it.

In response to these needs, many food service

businesses also offer some or all meatless meals one

day per week. This is part of a global movement

called “Meatless Mondays” that has received celebrity

endorsements and a lot of media hype. A 2012 NPR

Health Analytics poll indicated that 39% of meat-

eating Americans have reduced red meat intake in the

past three years.

This trend is not limited to the US. Australians have

also reduced their meat intake and meatless meals

or seafood meals have risen in popularity. The

Sanitarium Vegetarian Study done in 2000 indicated

that 44% of Australians eat at least one meat-free

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evening meal (not containing meat, poultry or fish)

in a week and 18% reported at least three or more

meatless meals. Part of this

may be due to rising cost of

meat, poultry and seafood.

The market for organics also

grows every year, with 75%

of families in the U.S. families

purchasing some organic

products. In Australia organic

beef sales jumped 111 per

cent and lamb 64 per cent.

Organic milk also showed

strong growth even though it is

notoriously expensive (Organic

Food Market in Australia

Grows to $300M, http://

au.ibtimes.com/commodities).

The former president and

CEO of McDonald’s in the

US recently co-founded a

business that aims to “do

healthy food on a fast-food

Customers need to feel empowered to make a difference in the world through their choices and that their choices create a long-lasting improvement in the quality of their lives.

scale”. The need to market healthy, sustainable

and local food free of additives and GMOs is on

every savvy business operators’ mind. Australian-

owned Freedom Foods is using Australia’s

relatively GMO-free status as a marketing tool and

consider it a huge competitive advantage. (news.

com.au).

“Nearly 100 per cent of the soy crop and 80

per cent of the corn crop in the US is GM

modified,” said CEO Michael Bracka.

There is also a strong push for “fair trade” products

such as coffee and cotton clothing that have

traditionally come from impoverished countries.

Fair Trade seeks to ensure that producers of these

products actually receive a fair amount for their

goods. Consumers and businesses can identify

products that meet their ethical values and that

make a positive impact on the world.

Sustainability is not just about making or growing

things; it is about the fair treatment of everyone

involved in the food chain. As well, sustainable

products are used that use renewable resources

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such as hemp and bamboo that grow quickly, are

extremely durable and require less energy to grow

rather than traditional sources for materials.

Educating consumers about the status of the food

industry may well be the best way to decrease harm

and force sustainability into restaurants. Consumer

behavior has always played a strong role in what

industry must produce if they are to survive. Two

essential factors for successful sustainability have been

identified as the customers need to feel empowered

to make a difference in the world through their

choices and that their choices create a long-lasting

improvement in the quality of their lives. If food service

venues are unable to provide the level of quality

patrons desire they may well opt for buying food where

they know what they are getting and then cooking at

home. This more affordable consumer trend is a real

threat to the food service industry’s revenues.

Certainly, consumers are more aware of what each

restaurant is doing through the internet and social

media connectivity. Diners can look for a restaurant on

their mobile phone, read about customer experiences

and even check out the menu before they decide to

step through the door. New mobile apps allow users

to scan a product bar code to determine if products are

eco-friendly or not. Major multi-nationals like Nestle

and Kraft have opened their vaults so the public can

view the ingredients in their recipes. Legislation was

presented to the California legislature requiring labeling

on restaurant and take out foods which sparked a huge

debate among food service companies and sustainable

food proponents. Change is clearly in the wind.

Mass marketing and big chain restaurants are

increasingly being replaced for smaller local “authentic”

locations. The need for a personalized transparent

dining experience has never been more important.

Obviously, we should be re-examining all of this when

55% of consumers believe that food production is on

the wrong track (Edelman Insights, Field to Fork, 2012).

NEW TRENDS

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product innovation now plays a significant role in improving profitability in the food service industry

In order to compete in increasingly difficult consumer

market food service businesses must remain

competitive. Grant Thornton’s conducted a survey of

CEOs in the Australian food and beverage industry. The

message in Food for Thought is clear: product innovation

now plays a significant role in improving profitability

in the food service industry (http://qsrmedia.com.au).

This product innovation is largely driven by the “green”

movement seen around the world.

New food trends are emerging in the hopes of enticing

an ever-increasing population of particular eaters into

eating establishments. Hyper-local foods are foods

grown in house in unused areas of the food service

business. Many restaurants have sported their own herb

garden for many years but restaurants and institutions

with space are taking things to a new level.

Hyper-local farming is small-scale subsistence farming,

meaning that you produce enough for your business

without the use of fossil-fuel machines, the addition of

preservatives, or the threat of pest infestation associated

with long-term storage. Benefits of hyper-local foods

include extreme freshness with food often ending up on

the plate within hours rather than days, plus your money

stays within your business.

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Other trends include sourcing

locally produced wine, beer

or spirits and homemade

desserts. All of these

products can be made with

local ingredients and may

also be unlike anything

available on a large scale

commercially. Yet another

unique offering is artisan

foods. Artisan foods are hand-

crafted in smaller batches and

made with high quality ingredients. Popular artisan

menu items include ice cream, cheese and bacon.

A large array of plant-based protein alternatives can

be found in the marketplace too. These proteins are

100% plant based, free of gluten, easily processed and

ready to use just like meat or poultry when cooking.

They can be cut into fillets, strips, chunks, cubes, or

slices and require far fewer resources to produce.

Whole grains such as quinoa, black rice and sorghum

have moved into the spotlight as well as plant-based

dairy substitutes made from rice, nuts or soy.

Much of the large-scale food supply for business is

provided by the catering industry. This may include

airlines, hospitals, nursing homes and educational

institutions. Change is definitely in the wind for all

facets of the food service industry when it comes to

sustainability.

AirlinesWithin NZ and Australia, airline catering is produced

in central processing facilities. By using both cook-

chill and cook-freeze technologies they are able

to produce between 8 to over 20million meals per

year. These facilities operate under stringent quality

control processes.

In early 2001, Qantas established its own centralised

frozen foods facility called Snap Fresh. It is located

in the South East sector of Queensland and provides

the airline industry with over 9 million meals per

Catering & Institutions

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year. The facility is state-of-the-art in its design and

adheres to the highest food safety standards. This

facility caters for many types of cuisines and can

store large quantities of single-serve frozen meals.

As a fully owned subsidiary of Qantas, Snap Fresh

provides the airline with a range of high quality

meals, including Asian, Western, Halal and vegan

dishes. The airline customers can choose from

a broad range of tried and proven meals or work

with the highly accomplished R&D team to develop

unique, distinctive meals.

The main advantages to this type of supply approach

in the airline industry, and now healthcare sectors,

are seen as being:

• Quality & Consistency - an integrated supply

chain and regular communication with growers

maximises the benefits of seasonal supply to

ensure consistent quality and value.

• Flexible Menu - the medium-scale production

process allows frequent menu changes and

tailor-made meal solutions.

• Multi-port Distribution and Usage - well-

established distribution using cold-

chain logistics ensures widely available,

consistently high quality meals made from

fresh Australian produce.

• Competitive Pricing - with existing base

volumes secured, Snap Fresh leverages

the benefits of economies of scale and a

low cost production model.

• Convenience, Improved Inventory

Management and Reduced Wastage -

using Snap Fresh meals with a long shelf-

life can assist inventory management,

reduce wastage and offer greater flexibility.

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• Flexibility - the plant has been designed to

provide a range of packaging options, from

bulk to individual serves, complete meals

or component products to suit individual

requirements.

One advantage of single or bulk serve meal is an

expected 30% reduction in each facility’s carbon

footprint. For some of the larger older kitchens, this

figure would be as high as 50%. This would represent

significant value for hospital administrators and

increased revenues for future growth for kitchens.

This move towards single-serve frozen or chilled

meals includes sustainable compostable containers

and compostable cutlery. This move to a compostable

system also results in significant operational savings.

These include:

• Elimination of various equipment requirements

including dishwasher and cooking appliances

• Savings from the removal of dishwashing lines,

space savings and more efficient meal reheating

options

• Reduces the indirect cost structures including

cleaning, maintenance, crockery and cutlery.

The move from freshly cooked to frozen or chilled meals

also reduces operational costs. These include:

• 40% reduction in supervisory and management

• 89% reduction in cooking

• 72% reduction in ware-washing/cleaning

• 45% reduction in cleaning

HospitalsHospital food service is changing in leaps and bounds.

Hospitals have a moral responsibility to serve good,

healthy food as they are in the business of getting people

well. Their practices have come under scrutiny in recent

years and the need for improvement is evident. They are

in the business of healing people and good nutrition and

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sustainability in operations are essential to effective

hospital management today.

Today, food service in hospitals is also becoming

a more personalized venture. The days of large

institutional kitchens are quickly becoming a thing

of the past. The demise of these massive kitchens

means no more ticking off your meal selection on a

card and then waiting until your tepid meal arrives,

despite the warmer. Meal preparation in many

hospitals is now made-to-order right on the ward.

Food is served hot and fresh.

Nutrition VisionThis change in many hospitals has moved the

traditional food service responsibility from simply

putting food on the plate to providing excellent

nutrition. Meals must be tailored for the needs of

the individual’s health problems, physical condition

and sensitivities.

There is an industry push for mandatory dietary

screening on admission to identify any risks.

These could include allergies, dietary restrictions, and

overall health and patient preferences. An appropriate

diet could then be generated that fulfilled both the

patient’s nutritional and dietary requirements and the

patients’ preferences for particular types of food, where

appropriate.

Naturally, an optimum diet promotes recovery and could

reduce the time spent in hospital, thus reducing costs in

the long run. Malnutrition is said to contribute to many

adverse outcomes including lowering immunity, slower

wound healing, muscle

wasting, and increased

mortality. Inadequate

nutrition prior to treatment

and during a patient’s

recovery can lead to

increased risk of illness and

a decreased quality of life.

With nutrition and hydration

being key components to

achieving optimum patient

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outcomes, as well being as the most common

therapeutic intervention for all patients, it is essential

that hospital food and nutrition services strive to

provide patients with quality food and beverages.

Malnutrition in HospitalMalnutrition is not a rarity in hospitals. It has been

suggested that as many as 40% of patients are

malnourished in

Australia (http://www.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/

articles/PMC3084475).

Only a fraction of

these malnourished

individuals are ever

referred to a dietitian.

Sadly, the degree of

malnutrition in Australia

is similar to other

nations. There is a

definite link between

hospital malnutrition

and increased mortality.

A 2008 study conducted in Sidney indicated that

the incidence of mortality after 12 months was

29.7% in malnourished subjects compared with

10.1% in well-nourished subjects. Patients also

stayed in hospital an average of 6 days longer if

they were malnourished (Prevalence of malnutrition

and 12-month incidence of mortality in two Sydney

teaching hospitals, 2008).

Not only is there a problem with the quality of food

but there are also problems with getting meals to

patients. Studies have shown there are various

reasons why patients do not eat hospital meals.

Why Don’t Patients Eat?One of the primary reasons that patients do

not receive the food they prefer is due to

communication. Patients may not have sufficient

language skills to communicate their concerns or

preferences or may not be able to read at all. Other

patients may struggle with disabilities such as

dyslexia, motor impairments or mental impairments.

While the rest of the food service industry has

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embraced technology as a means of improving

ordering and stock control, large institutions seem

to be slow to do so. Inefficient ordering systems

can result in delayed or incorrect orders which the

patient will not eat. Traditional hospital kitchens

mass-produce meals. Therefore, the menu does

not take into account cultural differences or special

needs such as vegetarianism or veganism. Patients

are faced with the prospect of choosing between the

lesser of a few evils if none of the items meet their

preferences. Some simply choose not to eat at all.

While restaurants are quick to recognize that we

“eat with

our eyes”,

hospitals

simply focus

on getting

the food to

the patients.

Mass

production

of meals can lead to rapidly prepared plates with

little effort spent on appearance and presentation.

Even though the meal may provide the nutrients the

patient needs they may not eat it if it looks bad.

Meals may also be disrupted due to the workings

of the hospital such as ward rounds by nurses,

doctors’ appearances and tests and transfers that

are not coordinated with food service. Patients’

meals may be unintentionally missed.

Few hospitals have systems in place that recognize

a patients’ individual medical condition with a

responsive diet to match it. Consequently, meals

may be prepared that a patient cannot eat. Plus,

patients who require special help to actually eat

are not identified on wards and busy nurses do not

have time to help patients eat. There may also be

breakdowns in communication between nursing,

kitchen and dietetic staff on the wards so that the

wrong meal is prepared or the it ends up in the

wrong place.

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Being a patient in

a hospital may be

enough to make

some patients

lose their appetite.

Sharing a room

with a seriously

ill patient or

contending with

offensive habits

can seriously

impair a patients’

caloric intake.

Healthcare

facilities are under increasingly difficult financial

burdens for staffing and patient care. Consequently,

many health managers have not had the time

or resources necessary to design the protocols

required for proper nutritional standards and

policies. In addition, surveys have shown that there

is low knowledge of nutrition among medical and

nursing staff and few resources for training.

How to ImproveEuropean trends in recent years have focused on

increasing the quality of the intake of nutritious

food as being crucial for patients who are

recovering from the effects of medical or surgical

procedures. Patients who receive good nutrition

may have shorter hospital stays, fewer post-

operative complications and less need for drugs

and other interventions.

In order to ensure the effective delivery of good

nutrition in healthcare facilities, a team-based

approach has been developed. Caterers,

kitchen staff, dietitians, nurses, doctors, ward

housekeepers and orderlies all have an important

part to play

In 2001, the British Government looked at how

hospital food services could be improved after

a decline in quality and bad press. Research

showed that a few changes could make a huge

difference to a patients’ mealtime experience.

Eventually, the PEAT (Patient Environment Action

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Teams) program identified the following as vital to

providing proper food to patients:

• Flexible menu providing patients with a greater

choice of meals and easier to understand menus

• Protected mealtimes guaranteeing patients have

un-disturbed meals

• 24-hour catering providing food any time of the day

or night

• Sustainability reducing environmental impact of

food production

• Nutritional focus for caterers and dieticians.

In response, The Hospital Caterers Association

set up a website that is packed with resources on

nutrition, menu planning and guidelines (http://www.

hospitalcaterers.org/better-hospital-food). In most

of Europe the hospitals are managed by contract

caterers supplied with meal/food providers and are

moving to single serve chilled or frozen meals.

Significant amounts of frozen meals (bulk and

single serve) are produced by Tillery Valley Foods

(TVF), Apetito and Anglia Crown. These are very

large manufacturing facilities supplying foods all

over England, Scotland and Wales. They supply

predominantly in bulk packs, however Compass

(Contract Caterer) has started a single-serve facility

(chilled) which is being optioned by TVF (Frozen) in

single-serve manufacturing.

After the report on Better Hospital Foods in 2002,

food services in England has become focused on

serving better quality and seen as a core part of the

patient recovery process.

Use of Compostable ProductsIn the past, the use of compostable cutlery,

containers, cups and bowls has been quite

contentious. Today, they are being looked at in a

new light due to new materials and an increased

need for specialised packaging. Past experiences

with inferior products has led to the development of

new technologies. These new technologies were

well-tested in non-health industries and have now

been adapted to the food industry. They can have

varied shapes, sizes, colour, texture, and rigidity to

suit any requirements plus they are compostable

(able to be fully degraded and safely utilised as

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fertiliser within 10-14 days). These new products can

be seen at www.biorenew.com.au.

Currently, most of the food containers and food waste

from hospitals and airlines ends up in the landfills.

New containers are now made

from a naturally occurring

biopolymer called polylactide

(PLA). This biopolymer

significantly reduces the

energy, chemical and human

resource requirements of

large scale dishwashing and is

safe for the environment.

These plant-based polymers

perform well in both plastic

and fiber forms so they are ideal for food industry

containers. Industry leaders include BASF, known for

their audio tapes in the past (http://www.bioplastics.

basf.com/ecoflex.html) and Nature Works LLC for their

development of “Ingeo”, a polymer made from plant

sugars from field corn (http://www.natureworksllc.com).

These new PLA disposables can replace existing

polyethylene terephthalate-based items (derived from

crude oil) in the healthcare sector. Their advantages are:

• PLA is a renewable resource with a 90% reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions in making the resin

• Disposables do not require washing before composting

• Opportunity for hospitals and nursing homes to create

their own designs, providing flexible shape and textures

to suit all packaging requirements

In addition, accelerated aerobic composting can be

brought about by

naturally occurring

microorganisms in 1

to 14 days. Special

self contained, fully

enclosed units on

site control odours,

without the need

for additional odour

control apparatuses.

The compost that is produced meets all regulatory

standards and can be sold commercially or used on site

by each facility.

PLA reduces

greenhouse gas by 90%

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Biopolymer-based Disposables Technology Overview

Institution Composting BasicsComposting is defined as “the biological

decomposition of organic waste materials to produce

a stable humus or soil-like product.” Natural

composting has existed since the beginning of time.

It is a relatively slow process, taking twelve weeks to

six months to produce a stable end product. Organic

material is left in a pile or row to decompose naturally.

Over time, portions of

the pile or row become

so dense that air does

not circulate. Obnoxious

odours are produced. This

is called the anaerobic

(meaning absence of

oxygen) decomposition

process. This process can

be sped up using special

systems that can be used in

any institution.

With the accelerated aerobic composting process,

moisture, temperature, oxygen and the initial carbon/

nitrogen ratio are monitored and controlled within

ideal ranges for maximum microbial activity. The

composted material is aerated by mechanical means

to ensure that there are no anaerobic pockets in the

mass. The accelerated aerobic process is brought

about by naturally-occurring microorganisms, which

consume oxygen and produce heat.

Once most of the organics have been metabolized, the

temperature of the composting mass starts to drop.

In the accelerated aerobic process, this stabilization

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begins to occur after approximately 7 days. The

typical retention time for most institutions in the

new technology is no more than 14 days, with new

designs composting in 24 hours.

From Plants to Plastic Containers, Packaging and CutleryWe start with an abundant natural resource, like

plants, which can easily and efficiently be produced

each year. Today’s technology allows us to isolate

the starch from the other components of the plant

and turn that starch into dextrose. The dextrose, or

sugar, is fermented in a process similar to making

yogurt to create lactic acid. Lactic acid is a naturally

occurring material that gives the “tang” to yogurt and

makes your muscles ache after a work-out.

From lactic acid we create a molecule called lactide.

We remove water, crystallize it and create the high-

performance polymer – polylactide (PLA). This

natural plastic is then used to make a variety of food

industry items and is completely bio-degradable.

Product & ApplicationsThese biopolymers are already proving

themselves a success in many commercial

applications such as in fibre and non-woven

materials, films, extruded and thermo-formed

containers, and extrusion and emulsion

coatings. The biopolymer is a natural fit for many

applications currently using polyester, polyolefins,

polystyrene and cellulosics. With performance

properties that span these materials, as well as

its production ease, this biopolymer can offer

cost and productivity advantages that constitute a

competitive advantage for any institution.

Most other packaging materials used in institutions

are PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) derived from

crude oil, a diminishing non-renewable resource.

PLA is made using an annually renewable

resource - plants. This plant-based origin results

in 90% less carbon emissions. PLA also uses

67% less fossil fuel than a PET container of

comparable size. This results in 90% lower

greenhouse gas emissions in making the resin.

Finally, any greenhouse emissions we produce

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in our production process are offset in other areas to

ensure minimal impact on the environment.

PLA packaging may be branded for large institutions

too. Unique sizes or shapes may be modelled and

the resin is ideal for most packaging requirements.

Applications using this biopolymer can be clear,

opaque, flexible or rigid. Biopolymer has similar

properties to polystyrene including gloss and clarity. It

also exhibits tensile strength and modulus comparable

to hydrocarbon-based thermoplastics.

Like polyester, biopolymer resists grease and oil and

offers an excellent flavour and odour barrier.

In addition, the biopolymer provides heat seal ability

at temperatures equivalent to polyolefin sealant resins

suitable for the re-thermalisation in the ovens or carts.

Loading ProcessContinuous loading is possible so containers can be

added after each meal is delivered from the kitchen.

Temperature Control By managing oxygen, moisture and temperature, the

aerobic composting process is accelerated to create a

1-14 day retention cycle within the

vessel. The process creates heat

so the equipment must regulate the

temperature within ideal ranges.

When temperature probes sense

that the upper limit of the set point

of any one of the three temperature

zones within the hospital system

is reached, the supply fan for

that zone is triggered. The

loading zone is set to promote

thermophyllic composting and to

ensure that composting materials

remain above 55 degrees C.

A set point of 52-54 C is used in the unloading

zone for optimal biodegradation. This degree of

temperature control, combined with in-situ mixing and

proprietary moisture management, enables a 1-14

day retention cycle. The resulting compost meets all

regulatory standards and can be sold or used at each

of the hospital gardens.

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EducationYet another great advancement is in education. Major

colleges and universities throughout the world now

offer undergraduate programs and certificates in

different areas of sustainability in response to an ever-

growing need. As young students already recognize

that the global industrial agriculture system is the No.

1 consumer of fossil fuels, the need for education to

prevent problems such as global warming and the

expertise to develop feasible sustainability plans

is vital. Educational programs focus on important

subjects such as local food production and marketing,

farm-based education and public policy and advocacy,

Many local, regional for non-profit authorities

are also establishing the criteria necessary to be

dubbed a “green” business. Within recent years,

the first international restaurant rating system was

established through the Sustainable Restaurant

Association (SRA). This means that diners can match

their sustainability priorities to a suitable restaurant

wherever they are in the world. Competition is

already fierce for the SRA Sustainable Restaurant

Awards with competitors vying for one of the top 50

positions in the world. The guidelines are stringent

but placing in the top 10 is also very prestigious as

the entrants are literally from any and every country

around the globe.

Soon diners will be able to search any establishment

on the worldwide web and know whether your

organization is green within seconds.

Food CostsRising costs are actually a very good reason to

move your business towards sustainability. Most

restaurants today are effectively paying twice for

all food items that are

wasted. First, they must

purchase the ingredients

and then they must pay for

the disposal of the waste.

It has been estimated that

by reducing food waste by

a mere 20% a restaurant

would save substantially

on waste collection costs.

Food costs will

steadily rise

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A 20% reduction would mean a very substantial

4,000 kilo reduction in waste each year. (Too Good to

Waste, SRA 2010).

It has also been suggested that rising landfill taxes

and transportation costs will soon make it more

economical to compost food waste on site or have it

collected for composting or anaerobic digestion than

to send it to landfill. Biorenew can provide machines

that can handle from 2 kilos to 20 tons of waste

per day. Added to this is the fact that raw meats

and vegetables are skyrocketing in price. Climatic

changes have impacted our food sources already.

In 2012 the US experienced the worst drought

seen in 25 years which virtually wiped out the

corn and soybeans crops of the Midwest food

belt. According the USDA, this led to a series of

problems such as increased seed costs for the

devastated crops, increased costs for animal

feed and consequent price increases for meats

and animal-based products. (USDA , Economic

Research Service, 2012). In Australia, the

incidence of drought followed by heavy rainfalls

is projected to increase under climate change

(Australian Government, Dept. of Climate Change,

2010.)

Naturally this all leads to higher food costs. The

2007 Australian drought saw an increase of up

to 43% for fresh fruits alone. This upward trend

is expected to continue each time we experience

unpredictable weather and each time the

consequences are more severe. Many ranchers

have given up because their grazing land has

been wiped out by wild fires or floods or feed costs

are more than the meat is worth when it makes it

to market.

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Considering the unpredictability of our weather

and the strains on the agricultural sector, it makes

absolute sense that food costs will rise steadily.

Labour, energy, water and transportation costs add

to the costs of your raw materials too. Once the

valuable commodity of purchased food reaches the

door of your establishment it should be maximized,

not wasted. Sustainability practices implemented

now make sense to secure your business for what

may be an increasingly difficult market. Clearly

this is the last thing the food service needs as it is

already suffering due to a lagging world economy.

Price wars have erupted between major chains in

hopes of securing whatever profit they can from a

more frugal health-conscious consumer. Market

share battles between competitors has dwindled an

already damaged profit margin. Food service has

erupted in convenience stores and new businesses

eager to snag their bit of the market continue to

appear, regardless of the drop in revenues. The

restaurant and food service industry is in crisis. It`s

a dog eat dog world out there but the food industry is

only now starting to respond

WASTAGEIf you work in the food service industry you already

know just how much ends up in waste bins each day

and it’s enough to make you cringe. A University of

Arizona study in 2005 estimated the total food loss

per day amounted to 49,296,540 lbs (225,605,000

kilos) for full service restaurants and 85,063,390 lbs

(385,553,514 kilos) for fast food restaurants. Almost

90% of materials in Australian food service bins were

recyclable including compostable food and packaging

(Sustainability Victoria, 2005).

For years there was debate about just where all this

waste was coming from and whether or not anything

could be done about it. Everyone conceded that

wasted food cost their business money but most

thought that the majority of this waste was post-

production and in the hands of the diner. It turns out

this is not true at all.

One of the leaders in the fight for sustainable food

service is the Sustainable Restaurant Association

(SRA) based out of the United Kingdom. Their

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surveys and policies

have far-reaching

implications and many

restaurants worldwide

seek their endorsement

as “sustainable”. The

SRA recognized that one

of the principle areas of

contention in the food

service industry was how

waste was produced. As

a result, in 2010 the SRA

conducted a Food Waste

Survey that revealed

some very interesting facts, some of which were

rather unexpected.

Preparation WastageThe majority of waste in food service is not from

consumers but from preparation. Approximately 65%

of food waste comes from preparing food before it

is even served. Raw vegetables must be prepared

by peeling and chopping away discoloration or

spoilage. Many vegetables received from suppliers

90% of materials in Australian food service bins are recyclable

will have travelled many

miles over several days

or weeks before they end

up at a restaurant. Most

fruits and vegetables travel

around 1,500 miles before

they reach a restaurant.

First world diners demand

foods when they want them,

regardless of the season.

There is loss of meat and

poultry too. Meats must

be trimmed and portions

are lost due to fat and gristle. Bones and skin may be

removed from poultry. Meat and poultry can shrink

considerably in the cooking process especially when

mass-produced and hormone fed.

Then there is the ever present challenge of balancing

supply with demand. While a diligent manager and a

good inventory system can track consumption daily,

weekly, monthly and yearly, no system can take all

the variables into account. Changes in weather, local

65% of food waste comes from preparing food before it is served

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events, construction detours and employee errors

can all result in excess food in the cooler or on the

shelves. If you talk to anyone in the food service

business they will tell you that there is no rhyme

or reason to why one day can be insanely busy

while the next is completely dead. There is simple

no predicting when a customer will come in to eat.

Consequently, the food service industry must rely on

past trends for ordering.

For buffet, cafeteria and catering businesses there

is the added problem of the large menu. Large

menus require large inventories to track and the

possibility of more things going wrong. Goods can

be stolen by light-fingered employees; food can be

handled inappropriately, poorly prepared or stored

incorrectly and spoiled. Large enterprises such as

cafeterias in educational facilities or large buffets in

hotels need multiples of all personnel including prep

staff and cooks. These businesses also need more

of everything; equipment, cooking oil, dry goods,

condiments, seasonings and sauces. All of this must

be calculated and if done incorrectly money and

materials are wasted.

As well, food that is open to the public rather

than served on demand must be monitored for

contamination and changed periodically. Stringent

food safety procedures involve keeping cold foods

cold and hot foods hot, but never for long periods

of time. Food must be disposed of if it drops above

or below the acceptable temperatures and in most

cases cannot be reused at all. More and more

food service businesses are being required to

label dishes so ingredients are known to those with

allergies. Prepared foods which inadvertently come

into contact with suspect foods, such as nuts, must

be thrown out. The threat of severe poisoning or

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even death makes some losses from food disposal

unavoidable and an absolute necessity.

Pre-Consumer WasteFood service wastage is not only measured by the

amount of food stuffs tossed out each and every

day but also the resources used to actually put the

food on the table. Food service businesses require

tremendous amounts of water and fossil fuels and

their associated costs are rising drastically. Cleaning

and preparing food and washing dishes and glasses

alone consume vast amounts of fresh water, never

mind toilet and hand washing facilities for diners.

Plus most restaurants cook with oil or gas for fuel

and are lit with hydro electric power.

Food service businesses require tremendous amounts of water &

fossil fuels & their associated costs are rising drastically

Unlike most businesses, restaurants often operate

almost every day of the year and for longer hours

than the standard 9 to 5 establishment. Fast food

and takeout restaurants generate mountains of

refuse for the landfill too and much of it is not bio-

degradable or not from a renewable resource. The

quantities of food required for a smooth operation

must be calculated, ordered and delivered. Food

must be prepped, cooked and served. An average

meal in a full service restaurant requires at least

three visits from an employee never mind the array

of glassware, dishes and cutlery that must be

presented, cleared and cleaned.

Plate WastageAlmost everyone has gone to a restaurant and

been unable to finish all the food on their plate.

Food service businesses often fill a plate with

starches such as rice, potatoes or pasta so the

customer never walks away hungry. The problem

with this mentality is that the amount of food on

each plate must be large to accommodate even

the biggest eater. Many eateries will even bump

up your portion to a gigantic size for just a small

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charge. This unhealthy practice not only promotes

over-eating and may be a contributing factor to

the problems of obesity in the world but it also

epitomizes the saying `my eyes are bigger than my

stomach`. When we are hungry it is easy to order

too much food and that excess food all too often

ends up in the waste bin. Participating restaurants

in the SRA survey produced over 1 pound (.48kg) of

food waste per diner.

Many full service

restaurants also use

over-sized plates

which are deceiving.

Patrons will order

extra side dishes

not realizing that

the plate is deeper

than it appears.

Once again, the leftover food usually ends up as

wastage. A regular requirement for servers in chain

restaurants is to “up-sell” to the diner offering them

an appetizer, a specialty drink and a dessert to

increase profits. Few managers are concerned if

1 pound (.48kg) of

food waste per diner

food is leftover. Success is measured by the total of the

daily cash out. This profit-driven, short-term mentality has

a great disadvantage. Approximately 30% of food waste

comes back from customers’ plates.

Plate wastage is like throwing 30% of your raw resources into a waste bin that you could have used to produce a major portion of another meal. If the diner does decide to take the excess home, you must pay for the labour to package it and the packaging too. If they do not take it home you must pay to dispose of it. Plate wastage comes straight out of your profits.

SpoilageFood waste also occurs due to spoilage. The food service

industry must adhere to “best-before” dates and food

handling regulations which include time limits on how long

foods can be frozen or how long they can be refrigerated

after opening. Unexpected equipment problems or power

outages can wreak havoc on a kitchen. Food service

businesses are required to monitor the temperatures of

their coolers, but when a rise in temperature is detected it

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may be too late to salvage the

contents. Most restaurants

order in large quantities and if

ordering is incorrect or there

are fewer customers than

anticipated food may pass its

usable date.

Even when food is stored

correctly it may have to

be discarded. Meat or

vegetables can have uneven

colouring that makes them

impossible to serve. Vegetables may be inconsistently

sized making them difficult to cook. Eggshells can be

cracked presenting a safety issue. Baked potatoes

may have black spots inside that are only seen when

cut for presentation. Up to 5% of food is classified as

unusable when it could be used for other purposes.

Takeout WastageFast food may involve several additional types of

wastage on top of normal food service. Take out waste

largely depends on the type and size of the restaurant.

5% of food is classified as unusable when it could be used for othe purposes

Larger chains have better waste control measures in

place and their rates are estimated to range between

5% and 7 % (To Understand Food Loss in American

Food Systems, 2006). Local takeout chains can have food loss rates as high as 50%.

On top of the expected food losses, fast food

restaurants must continuously pre-prepare food for

quick service. In addition, there are multiple items that

need to be made and they can only be retained for a

very short period of time. This system is only efficient

when there is a steady stream of consumers to eat the

food. If there is a lag in the number of customers then

food must be discarded to ensure freshness. Some

restaurants throw out food after sitting for 7 minutes.

Other restaurants also provide delivery service which

relies on food getting to the client on time and hot.

Clearly, this doesn`t always happen so the original

order must be thrown out and the food must be made

again. This double loss also doubles the labour and

packing that is wasted.

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Many franchised takeout businesses depend on

regional warehouses to restock their supplies.

Consequently, restaurants have less onsite storage

but managers are still faced with the challenge of

anticipating consumer demand. Orders written on

paper can be quite different from physical boxes

arriving to be stored in a cooler and it is not unusual

to find you simply

do not have enough

space. This can

result in high losses of

perishable foods.

Growth in the takeout

industry is strong and

it does not appear

to be slowing down.

Prepared meals brought home increased 70%

in the last 20 years. Plus 30% of the population

already eat out at least three times a week (NPD

Eating Trends Survey, 2010). Busy lifestyles and

reduced time at home make takeout a normal thing

with many families.

Prepared meals

brought home increased 70% in the last 20

years

In fact, 57% of consumers would like to see more

casual dining restaurants offer takeout (Sources of

Takeout Food, 2006, Technomics). Undoubtedly,

restaurants will offer more takeout as the demand is

obviously there.

WASTE DISPOSALNaturally there have been improvements. The

movement away from non-compostable materials

such as foam containers and the implementation

of biodegradable garbage bags is definitely in the

right direction but change has been particularly slow

in the food service sector. Restaurateurs cite stiff

competition and a poor economy as factors for not

implementing “green” practices. Most owners look

at these measures as unreasonable costs that are

not vital to business operations. This profit-driven

mindset is totally understandable but also rather

short-sighted.

Legislation by municipalities regarding waste disposal indicates the trend towards sustainability is inevitable.

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Many cities do not have the land to handle the large

volumes of waste and are imposing hefty fees for

access to landfills or are finding it necessary to “ship”

their refuse elsewhere. The problem is so extreme in

places like New York City that they are considering

other alternatives such as garbage chutes leading

to treatment plants below ground. They estimate

their 6000 garbage trucks generate nearly 2 tons of

greenhouse gases every year and costs increase by

a third every five years. Truck miles have one of the

greatest environmental consequences as they are not

fuel efficient and consequently waste is compacted,

loads are heavier and trucks are retired earlier.

The rising cost of gasoline and oil means that waste disposal fees will continue to increase. All these costs are

passed on to the user and in the case of a food

service business these are substantial. Some

localities fine businesses for unacceptable trash or

insist that special systems are in place for disposal of

materials such as cooking oil or broken glass. The

cost of disposing of restaurant waste is skyrocketing.

The writing is on the wall when it comes to who will

bear the burden of the costs involved in food service

waste. Local

and federal level

governments are

obviously moving

towards more

stringent controls

of waste treatment

and some have

already enacted

legislation that lays the associated cost of waste in the

lap of the food service operator.

Operators need to accept that green sustainable policies will not be optional in the near future. Proactive food service

professionals see the wisdom in starting now.

By looking at what they are doing now that is

unsustainable they can plan incremental changes that

are both economically and operationally feasible.

Leaders such as Food Drink Europe have set a

mandate to halve Europe’s food waste by 2020 and

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other organisations have similar goals. The cost

of not going green is increasing rapidly. As well

as being an environmental issue, there are clear

monetary and social benefits. Everyone wants to

be happy and to feel that they are contributing to

a greater good. Sound environmental practices

make obvious business sense if it contributes to

happier, more productive employees, reduced

losses and a returning clientele.

PACKAGINGAnother major concern which revolves around

food is packaging. Food must be packaged for

transport both to and from the establishment.

Packaging ensures that food arrives at its

destination intact and unblemished and many

improvements have been made for distributing

bulk foods. However, much work needs to be

done in the takeout food industry. While some

businesses have taken the initiative to re-evaluate

the types of containers passed on to consumers,

many still use non-bio-degradable products such

as foam takeout boxes as they are considered

less expensive. Many municipalities are moving

towards a ban on these containers because of their

impact on the environment. These foam containers

are said to contain up to 57 by-products after

incineration and some of these toxic chemicals have

been seen to leach into food when reheated in a

microwave. They are also manufactured from a non-

renewable resource; petroleum. Lastly, they also

contain hydrocarbons which are a threat to the ozone

layer of our planet.

A 2012 QSR Magazine online article discusses a

green trend emerging around the world. This trend

involves revealing the carbon footprint data at the

point of purchase. A carbon footprint measures

the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the

consumption of a fossil fuel plus all the restaurant

resources used such as electricity and packaging.

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It is meant to help

measure the impact

on the environment

(http://qsrmedia.com.

au/toptrendsfor2012).

Although there is

no legislation in

place at the time of

this publication, it is

anticipated that many nations will insist on customers

being able to check a business’ carbon footprint

through labelling in the very near future.

If a business does not use green practices their carbon footprint will be high and indications are that the new eco-savvy consumer will not buy their product.

The fact that it is being heavily debated today

indicates there is a very strong interest in

implementing it in the future. Many large fast food

chains have made changes already. KFC introduced

a reusable container in 2010 to replace their

foam ones which won them a greener packaging

award. Many companies have also introduced PET

bottles for soft drinks as they are made from post-

consumer waste and have a smaller impact on the

environment as they can be recycled again and

again. Coca-Cola went a step further and created a

bottle made from plant materials. Subway removed

the paper between cheese slices saving 450,000

pounds of paper annually in the US alone.

This new increased focus on packaging is for a

very good reason. Packaging makes up almost

all the remaining waste that ends up in our bins

besides organic materials. Today 32% of our

packaging waste is still made of plastic which is

another petroleum-based non renewable resource.

Recycling has reduced, but not eliminated, the

amount of packaging that makes its way into our

landfills every day.

The development of new types of packaging is in

direct response to our garbage crisis today.

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Soaring waste management costs and rapid changes to waste regulations indicate that green packaging makes good financial sense for the food service industry. New packaging that has zero impact on

the environment will likely be the norm in the not-

too-distant future. Products made from recycled

paper, sugar cane products, hemp, and corn not

only reduce our impact on

the environment but they

also come from renewable

resources. Foam, petroleum-

based products will not

remain inexpensive for long

considering the escalating

costs of oil and gas.

Many “green” restaurants are also handling much of

their waste in-house as this reduces transportation

costs and waste removal fees. This means that

packaged must be organic in nature in order to be

composted or digested. Packaging is essential in

food service as it can maximize shelf life and be used

to transport the finished product to its destination.

Zero Waste Systems

Clearly the reasons for going

green are many and varied.

Business owners will actually

save money by implementing

savings techniques while

minimising climate change

risk. A “green” business is

the business of tomorrow

and to ignore this would

be a very foolish business

practice indeed. Cost savings and energy efficiency

are obvious advantages but also consider that going

“green” can offer you a competitive advantage and

draw in new customers. Your existing customers

may feel more loyalty towards your business and

you will be ready for any new waste legislation that

comes to pass. It just makes good business sense

to go green. By using simple tips and tools you can

start your business on the path to sustainability.

Both your staff and your customers will feel better

about dealing with your organization and you can

have peace of mind knowing you are doing what you

can to reduce your carbon footprint while providing a

quality product.

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BASIC PRACTICES TO START GOING GREENThe need to create a food service business that is

more in tune with the environment and the desires

of consumers is very evident. Many restaurants

have taken the first steps in making their operation

more “metabolic”. This usually starts at the

management level by officially involving them in the

corporate commitment. If you are a small business

meeting with your manager or staff to discuss what

lies ahead is a good starting point.

Track Your UsageAs a food business operator you will need to know

where you are now to know what the impact is

when you implement change. Short and long-term

planning involves goal setting, accountability and a

game plan to achieve the desired results.

There are limits to using the dollar value as the

only way to track change as it does not reflect true

consumption. One month you may have fewer

customers so your power bill is lower but your cost

may actually be higher if your restaurant used

more power to earn the same amount of revenue.

You will still need to track all of your energy

resources so you can measure the results of your

changes. These include water, electricity, oil or

gas, waste and transportation costs.

Record the date, amount and the consumption

for each separate resource in a program like

Excel and produce tables to show the pattern of

consumption throughout the year. You will need

at least a years’ data to get an accurate idea

of how the seasons affect your business so old

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invoices may need to be looked up and entered.

Once you have 12 months of data, calculate

an average consumption rate for each of the

resources. This is your starting point for planning

what you would like to see happen in the future.

This data also serves as a comparison point to

see if there is improvement as you implement

new measures over the months.

You can also use these figures to look at how you

are doing when compared with the industry as a

whole and against your competitors specifically

if you can obtain their data. Green companies

are often very proud of their accomplishments

and publish their statistics for the public and

stakeholders to read.

Many businesses find it wise to invest in

sustainability software programs that make it

easy to input information as it flows through

your system. The software tracks the ratio of

consumption to profit so you can get a true

picture of what is going on in particular times of

the day, week, months or years of your operation.

Audit Your OperationConducting an audit can be a complex, in-depth

process that exceeds the limits of this document but

there are plenty of resources available to assist you

if you run a large operation. Professionals can be

employed to come on-site, identify your businesses’

short-comings and prepare a very detailed report

for you. There are also many local and national

organizations that can assist you in completing your

audit. For most owners a thorough walk-through

of the premises will give you enough information to

formulate plans.

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Managers normally have an excellent idea about what

needs to be done as they work in the business every

day and their input can be invaluable. Owners should

ask their assistance in the audit process. The idea is

to record information about all areas of operation that

could be improved in your business. These may include

upgrading your current systems, analyzing the types of

resources that are used in particular areas, recognizing

the areas that are obviously creating a lot of waste and

documenting equipment or building improvements that

need to be done in the future.

An audit includes a review of mechanical and electrical

systems so have a technician on-hand to answer

any questions that may arise as you move through

the building. Chances are you will end up with an

enormous number of things that need to be done.

Set GoalsSetting goals is critical once you have figured out the

areas where you would like to reduce consumption

and it is the only sure way to ensure the success of

your sustainability program. Next you will need to have

quantifiable measurements that will show you how you

are progressing towards these goals. There are

industry standards one may follow for KPI’s (Key

Performance Indicators) but for small business

a simple goal such as “reducing our electricity

consumption by 10% by the end of the year” may

be sufficient. The entire idea is to commit and

track your progress.

PrioritizeNo business has the

resources to make

the comprehensive

changes needed to

become completely

green in one fell swoop.

Identified tasks need to

be prioritized and costs

and timelines attached

to them. Some items

will obviously need to

be done first, such as replacing an appliance that

has come to the end of its useful life. Others can

be implemented in steps or stages to reduce the

financial burden.

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While energy-saving, environmentally sound

measures abound, for most operators the

simplest path is to start with the easiest or least

expensive and move up to the more involved

projects. Each new system can be tweaked so it

runs smoothly in the operation before introducing

something new again. Another option is to tackle

the projects that you believe will have the most

positive return on your investment. If you water

bill is through the roof, look at trying all the water

saving measures you can first.

WILL WE SAVE MONEY?Regardless of how good it is for the customer,

employees and the environment, every owner

wants to know if sustainable measures actually

work. Many food service businesses have shied

away from change as they believe that the costs

are just too high.

As suggested previously, the negative implications

of not going green are growing every day.

Growing changes in customer tastes, increasing

governmental controls on waste and higher waste

removal costs all make sustainability a very viable

method of reducing costs. After all, the bottom

line is what determines if your doors will remain

open or you will join the ranks of failed service

businesses. Fortunately there are scores of case

studies proving that green measures not only

benefit the planet but your bank account too. Here

are three for you to look at.

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CASE STUDYDRIFT BISTRO, PEREGIAN BEACH, QUEENSLANDPeregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club is home to

Drift Bistro; an “a la-carte” restaurant operating seven

days a week. As part of its eco-efficiency drive, the

club installed more efficient lighting and tapware in

the restaurant and other club areas, and introduced

composting. The club also initiated recycling at the

Sunday market that it coordinates in a park adjoining

the clubhouse.

Annual Savings:Energy savings of 59,329 MJ (8 per cent)

Potable water savings of 438 kL (28 per cent)

Waste reduction of 13 m3 (12 per cent)

Waste-water reduction of 382 kL (28 per cent).

Financial savings totalled $5,319

http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/sustainability/sector-

guides/restaurants/case-studies.html#the_ship_inn_

brisbane_queensland

CASE STUDYBROADFIELD YOUTH & COMMUNITY CENTRE, UKBroadfield Youth and Community Centre has reduced

annual costs through improving energy and water

efficiency and reducing waste. Energy efficient and

sensor controlled lighting and movement sensors were

fitted to automatically switch off toilet, corridor, reception

and external security lighting when no one is present,

reducing usage by around 40% in each area. Sensors

were also installed to control urinal flush frequency.

Uncontrolled urinals can often account for 70% of an

organisations water use. Placing Save-a-Flush bags

in toilet cisterns has reduced water usage. Paper

towels have been replaced by hand dryers. Even with

increased electricity costs a substantial savings was

seen and over a tonne of landfill waste was eliminated.

Annual Savings:Electricity: 18,750 kWh, £1,875

Waste: 1.08 tonnes, £2,500

Water: 538 m3, £958

CO2: 11.46 tonnes

Financial savings totalled £5,300http://sustainablebusiness.org.uk/case-studies/

broadfield-youth-community-centre/

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CASE STUDYDARDEN RESTAURANTS, USIf you want to see an award-winning leader in

sustainability in action, take a look at Darden

Restaurants’ sustainability report 2012.

http://www.darden.com/sustainability/

downloads/2012-gri-full.pdf. With 1,600

restaurants in the US and over 180,000

employees Darden’s approach to sustainability is

systematic and cost effective. Their report sums it

up when they say:

Our commitment to sustainability is

a central part of achieving our larger

purpose..... We have worked to develop

a more integrated and strategic approach

to managing sustainability issues in our

business knowing that we fundamentally

rely on natural resources.

Studying Darden’s report it is clear that big

business has embraced sustainability because

they have absolutely proven in works for them now

and in the future.

The IHRA (International Hotel and Restaurants

Association) Sustainable Hospitality Program 2020

states that the annual average savings is US $19,600 per property that can be made

from better energy and resource management. That

is money that you are currently throwing away in

one form or another.

Clearly, businesses that act now will be ready to

handle whatever legislative changes come their

way, they will save money that their competitors

are throwing away and they will have a competitive

marketing edge too.

MONITOR YOUR PROGRESSNaturally you will want to monitor your progress

carefully. There are several elements that are

essential to tracking how you are doing with

your new measures. Your management will not

only need to know what things they will need to

change but how the end result will be measured.

Successful projects follow these common standards.

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Choose a limited

set of effective

measures

Trying to do

too much too

quickly is not a

good idea for

several reasons.

Tracking change

takes time and

energy and if

too many things are done at once then management

will be faced with many additional tasks on top of

their normal duties. These duties could include

reports, staff training, and changes to procedural

manuals. Changing many things at once also adds

to confusion and an increased chance of errors.

Try to implement one small measure at a time and

monitor it to make sure it is being followed by all

staff. If management encounters difficulties the

measure may need to be tweaked so that it starts

to work towards the desired end result. Listen to

your managers. They should know why it is not

working and what might be done to change it.

Once you are certain that everyone knows what

and when to use the new procedure or equipment,

move on to another change.

Establish a schedule for regular reportingReporting on progress can be as simple as getting

everyone together for a monthly staff meeting or

as frequent as daily tracking sheets. When you

decide on a new measure make sure that your

paper trail has been planned. All employees

should know who does what on which form and

when. Staff meeting or workshops may be needed

to get everyone up to par.

To have reliable results reporting must be done

consistently. When you choose the length of the

reporting period is should remain the same for at

least one year so that results can be measured

against the original data you amassed. If your

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previous data was reported on a monthly basis it

is recommended that consequent data follow the

same timeframe otherwise you may comparing

apples and oranges.

Regular reporting serves as a gauge to measure

how things are improving or not improving over

time. Leaving unfiltered data for too long can

mean a huge mess to sort out and unnecessary

revenues lost if the new measure is not performing

as expected. Keep on top of it and adjust until you

are meeting at least the minimum expectations for

the change.

Develop report formats to communicate clearlyKeep the information in your forms and reports

simple and clear. Everyone should be able to look

at the form and know precisely what information

is required. Avoid industry jargon or complex

language whenever possible. Remember that

your forms or reports may be used by a wide range

of people with various education, language and

industry experience.

Design everything with the new employee in

mind. Include the title and departmental contact

information so that if someone has a problem they

know where to go. Try not to use specific employee

names as these can change and then the user has

no idea who to call instead. Directing the individual

to a department will help to cut through red tape in

a big organization. This will also reduce rewrites in

procedural manuals or bulletins.

Establish procedures for acting on problems identifiedIf management or other employees discover a

problem they need to know what to do. This is

particularly true when new equipment is purchased

to reduce waste or improve efficiency in an area.

New equipment normally requires large cash outlays

and a lot of revenue goes towards installation,

retrofits and staff training. If the machinery is not

working as expected, employees should know

what to do. Every day that things are not working

correctly is lost revenue. For large operations this

can mean a huge loss in just a few hours.

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Contact information can be as simple as a telephone

number on the machinery or a manual with specific

steps to follow. Emergency procedures need to be

in place from the user to management so something

can be done immediately. Make sure there is

secondary contact information as well. If employees

are authorized they may be able to call service

companies to the site for repairs.

Assess sustainability on a periodic basis

Collecting information through reports, forms,

meeting and conversations is an ongoing process.

Track how staff reacts to the changes and log

resource changes as new invoices arrive. If the

changes you have made are ineffective find out why.

Are employees avoiding the change as they have

not been trained properly? Has a new container

been put in the wrong location? Are people short-

cutting around the method because they do not see

the purpose? Are we still using the new processes

implemented in our improvement process, or have

the processes started to erode? Are the outcomes

the processes are intended to affect moving in the

desired direction?

You will want to

have a balance

between tracking

key aspects of

your improved

processes

versus placing

undue burden

on your management. You should see a steady

improvement in the areas where you have

implemented change. Make sure you translate

your waste reductions into revenue. Keep staff

members in the loop regarding improvements in

waste reduction. They need to know that what they

are doing is making a difference. They are the key

to the success of all your waste reduction plans and

the need to motivate them to participate is of primary

importance.

HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR STAFFBefore you can get your staff to participate, show

enthusiasm and maintain waste reduction changes

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in the workplace you must have a solid vision and a

strategy in place for your business. Employee’s need

to know what direction your establishment is taking

and how they fit into the picture. This is fundamental

to the success of your entire program because it can’t

be done without dedicated workers.

Green programs are often started by enthusiastic

employees who establish a committee and take the

initiatives on themselves. Green teams are a regular

feature in businesses’ sustainability strategies. They

will organize and plan and report to management

about that they see as the businesses’ needs. In the

beginning, a basic green program may be nothing

more than buying a few recycling bins and nagging

workers to use them. Facilitating employee-led

initiatives is an excellent way to show initial support.

Employee awareness can also be developed through

informal staff meetings, newsletters and discussions.

However, a comprehensive sustainability program is

much more. Successful green businesses not only

focus on waste reduction but a better workplace for

their employees including better benefits, flex time,

equipment for telecommuting and on-site facilities

such as daycares or gymnasiums. Once you have

your corporate sustainability vision in place you can

now focus your energies on understanding what

sustainability means to your staff.

SurveysThere are many ways to find out what your workers

want and one of the best ways is to ask them. Surveys

not only allow you to poll your employees about

sustainability issues but you also have an opportunity to

find out about their attitudes, likes and dislikes.

Many businesses conduct surveys asking workers

to identify what they see are the important things

that could be done to reduce waste. These surveys

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are also a great way to narrow down what staff

members consider worthwhile results of a good

sustainability program would be. Issues such as full-

time employment status, better healthcare plans or a

clothing allowance are all rewards that can be used

to motivate workers to get with the program. Tangible

benefits aren’t always expensive for the company but

they are extremely important to the workers as they

make them feel valued. Employees that are happy

at their jobs perform

better and therefore

increase productivity.

Good productivity

means increased

revenues. This cycle

of benefit works for

all parties involved;

the company saves

money, the harm to

the environment is reduced and employees feel more

involved and loyal to the company plus they know

that they are helping to protect the planet. They are

then eager to take on new change as they have seen

positive results in the past.

BrainstormingYour employees are the ones on the frontlines and

they know more about your business than you

know. Bringing workers into planning process is a

wonderful way to ensure success. Employees that

have made suggestions that are later implemented

know that their opinion counts for something. They

can monitor progress when a change is put into

action and suggest methods of altering a method if it

is not working well enough.

In short, they will be the ones that will know if

something sounds feasible or not. Barging ahead

with your own ideas without bringing staff together

is not only arrogant but bad business. Modern

business models embrace employee input and

many companies have made huge revenue savings

from the staff suggestion box.

Brainstorming sessions are the latest version of

the suggestion box. They are free-for-alls where

everyone just throws their ideas in the pot. There

cannot be any judgement no matter how crazy an

idea might sound but if someone does have a good

idea steer the energy in the room towards it. Have

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a whiteboard or blackboard available and write it all

down. Nearing the end of the session go through a

reduction process and get the ideas down to a few

strong suggestions. Summarize the results and let

workers see how this information is absorbed into

your action plan.

TrainingTraining employees may well be the most important

factor in guaranteeing the success of your

sustainability program. In order for training to be

effective it must be tailored to the individual and

appropriate for the savings measure. Sustainable

businesses take training very seriously as untrained

employees waste resources and consequently waste

revenues. Considering the high costs involved in

food service equipment and staffing the money spent

on appropriate training is never wasted.

Training can be as simple as calling everyone

together and showing them how to load the new

dishwasher or as complex as sending them on

intensive, costly off-site courses. Regardless of the

level of resources required, training serves to show

the company’s commitment to the employee as well

as their commitment as a company to reduce waste.

It is the primary way those employees know, other

than monetary compensation, that they are valued.

If the company is willing to invest time and money

in their improvement they feel loyal towards their

employer.

Not all training takes place in a classroom.

Growing methods of training are work shadowing

or mentoring. Both of these techniques require

a seasoned employee to instruct a new inductee

in the subtleties of the position and because they

are on the frontline together they can incorporate

sustainability measures right from the start.

If an employee is indoctrinated into green measures

during the training period they will consider it a part

of their normal job and there will be no problem

with waning enthusiasm over time. They will take

responsibility and will be accountable for their

actions.

Workshops within the company are also popular as

small groups can be instructed at one time. They

are very participatory and the attendees must work

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towards a specific solution by the end of the workshop.

As the workers actually must do the work they are

more likely to retain what they learn and understand

why it is important. Workshop leaders can be those

within the company already doing this type of work so

they can answer specific questions and pose unique

industry challenges for attendees to solve. The days of

the boring classroom course is falling by the wayside.

The food service industry is seeing more internet-based

instruction now too. Trainees log onto a company

server and walk through a course step-by-step and from

anywhere they wish to study. Work is normally divided

into easy to use modules to allow work and study

to mesh. Information may have visual, audio and

hands-on components as it has been proven that

retention is higher when varied methods are used.

Employees can qualify for higher positions as they

advance through the company’s training plan and

obtain certificates or degrees in house.

Many businesses will reimburse employees for

courses taken at community colleges or universities

if the course will help the employee attain a better

position. Employee reviews now include the vision

the employee has for their future in the company

and steps to help them achieve it. Helping workers

become better at what they do is a win-win situation

as employees stay longer at their jobs. The high

cost of indoctrinating staff makes efforts to make

staff happy even more sensible.

Ultimately, the challenge for businesses is finding

ways to continuously re-engage employees

on sustainability. Clearly this is a lot easier if

each of your employees has a reason to do so.

Thriving modern business invest resources in

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substantial recognition and awards programs too.

These rewards aren’t necessarily monetary. Some

employees are motivated by the opportunity to

use the hours

more flexibly

while others

appreciate social

recognition.

Increasingly

businesses

realize that there

is a high cost

if one does not

invest in their

people. Workers

who are unhappy

find someplace

else to work and

constant staff turnover means higher expenses and

lower customer satisfaction.

OTHER RESOURCESThe Sustainable Restaurant Association are leaders

in providing information on sustainability and have

pioneered the standards for green restaurants. Their

website is full of useful information to help you make

your business green. http://www.thesra.org/

The NSW Sustainability Toolkit – Hospitality is an

excellent publication which outlines all of the major

areas necessary to address the reduction of waste

in your business. http://www.nswbusinesschamber.

com.au/NSWBC/media/Misc/Policy%20Documents/

Sustainability-Toolkit-Hospitality.pdf

Unilever Food Solutions offers a free toolkit for the food

service industry complete with sample forms and reports

you can use to start tracking wastage. http://www.

unileverfoodsolutions.com.au/our-services/your-kitchen/

work-smart/wise-up-on-waste

The Green Restaurant Association provides excellent

information on how to establish a long-term plan for

waste reduction in order to receive green certification.

http://dinegreen.com/restaurants/standards.asp

Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry - Principles

of Sustainable Operations, 2009: Philip Sloan,

Page 107Page 106

Willy Legrand and Joseph S. Chen. http://www.

sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780750679688

Sustainable Food Service provides industry specific

information on food service issues such as fats, oils

and grease as well as kitchen equipment. http://www.

sustainablefoodservice.com/res/gov.htm

An excellent step-by-step online program for

establishing sustainability work practices http://

sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/MBA/Sustainable_

hospitality/documents/13065/documents/bsbsus201a/

bsbsus201a/index.htm

Green Table Australia offers a green certification

program to help restaurants on the path to

sustainability. http://www.restaurantcater.asn.au/file.

php?id=1467&open=yes

If you are anticipating that you will have to purchase

new equipment, do retrofits for sustainability or will

be building new structures in the future make sure

that check for local and national grant and subsidy

programs available in your area. Governments offer

many incentives to help business go green because it

is in their best interest as well.

Colleges, universities and many service industry

organizations now offer many sustainability

programs and training. Training staff to manage your

resources well makes good business sense and it will

undoubtedly be a requirement in the future.

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WHAT SHOULD I CHANGE IN MY BUSINESS?Even though we are all involved in the food service

industry it scope is large and there are many different

types of business within it. Your business may face

challenges that are unique to your specific segment of

the industry.

Quick service restaurants may find that they need to

find new technologies to help them deal with the oil or

fat from deep fryers. While oil collection at restaurants

is quite commonplace nowadays, new technologies

exist that recycle grease and oil on site for a fraction of

the cost thus reducing the initial production cost of the

oil, the transportation costs for shipping and the waste

removal costs for bulk recycling.

These restaurants also face the formidable challenge of

presenting their takeout food in an attractive manner that

does not involve petroleum-based containers or large

amounts of packaging. The push towards packaging

made from renewable

resources is stronger than

ever and makes good

long-term business sense.

Eco-friendly packaging

has dropped in price so

expense is not the issue

today. Often we stick with

what is familiar rather than

exploring new options.

The chain restaurant

business model must deal

with evaporating profit margins due to competitive price

wars. Growth in the fast food industry is guided more

and more by the fact that 80 percent of consumers want

healthy food that tastes great and fits into their budget.

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Conversely, a high-end gourmet restaurant may

waste many resources because of its exacting

standards. Meat and produce must be of the best

quality and anything less is loss. Many top end

restaurants are now implementing strategies to use

off cuts for sauces and stocks, sourcing meat, fish

and poultry from sustainable sources and limiting

their menus to reduce the quantity of ingredients

required in their kitchen. On-site gardens and

dehydrating equipment ensure fresh vegetables and

fine dried herbs for even the best cuisine.

High-end restaurants face the very real problem that

their customers do not have as much disposable

income and dine out less frequently. In a very elite

market the loss of just a few percent of patronage can

have disastrous consequences.

In college and business cafeterias and buffets, large

menus mean large wastage. Many cafeterias have

eliminated trays so people can only take one plate.

Regardless of what type of food service industry you

participate in there are ways to reduce waste. Below

are some changes or additions for you to consider in

your business. Since you are the one tackling this

challenge you should also have a very good idea of

what will work in your business. The ideas provided

here are just a starting point and more help is always

available through local, regional or federal authorities.

Some areas have representatives that will visit your

business and provide you with a written report with all

of their recommendations.

No two businesses will be the same so it is important

you develop a written plan with specific components so

that your efforts do not go off track or lose momentum.

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In- House ChangesBetter stock management, menu flexibility, portion

sizes, seasonal awareness and many other elements

need to be addressed when one wishes to reduce

waste in a food service business.

ForecastingSpending extra time to analyze the trends in customer

consumption is well worthwhile. Proper forecasting

helps you to assess what items are sold more than

others and if the items on your menu are worth

keeping. Forecasting also takes in account seasonal

variations to

your menu and

celebratory

holiday events.

Customers

tend to eat less

heavy foods in

the summer and

more substantial meals in the winter. Wise business

owners analyze their menu items and remove items

that cost too much to make or do not turnover quickly

enough. A small well-prepared menu is far more

practical than a large complicated one. You cannot

please everyone so try to do what you do well.

AuthenticA growing nexus of restaurant and food service

entrepreneurs are filling the gap between restaurant

chain offerings and what the customer wants by offering

“authentic” food

at an affordable

price. In a food

market that has

been subject to

brutal competition,

these businesses

are flourishing and

winning eco-conscientious diners as a result.

Smaller PortionsA recent trend has been to reduce portion size for meals

because so much ends up in the waste bin. Many

food service businesses employ a technique known as

the “Delboeuf Illusion”. This involves putting smaller

portions on smaller plates, thus creating significantly

less kitchen and plate waste, without causing the

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customer to feel cheated about their serving of food.

Try to offer different portion sizes to cater to a variety

of appetites. Selling a portion bigger than one can eat

costs you money. Not only does a good part of your

raw material end up but you must pay labour to box

it and purchase takeout containers too. You can also

offer second portions as an alternative to putting too

much on one plate. Only the biggest eaters will take

advantage of this offer.

Make customers aware of the part they can play in

reducing food waste – promote your good work and set

an inspiring example.

Staff ParticipationBesides normal procedures such as stock rotation,

menu planning and smaller portions, business

owners need to engage their employees as soon

as possible in their

sustainability plan.

Starting up a green

team is a good way

to initiate change

as employees are

included and they are

also the ones that see

where improvement

could be made. Post

signs have informal staff meetings and train staff in

new equipment and procedures.

Focus on Stock ControlFine-tuning your menu and ordering process

includes considering how much storage you have

and how quickly your food stuffs will be used. High

stock levels mean money sits in your cooler or

pantry rather than in your bank account. Too much

stock can also mean items will spoil before they can

Star t a

“Green Team”

Page 117Page 116

be used. Limiting

the ingredients used

in your menu is a

good way to prevent

this. Even if one item

does not sell, another

containing the same

ingredient may.

New TechnologiesMany new technologies and products are available

today that can help you to reduce the amount of

waste that ends up in the landfill.

There are compostable,

bio-degradable products

made from renewable

resources that can

reduce your carbon

footprint. Check out

www.biorenew.com

for some cutting edge

solutions.Zero Waste Systems

Reduce Preparation WasteGood menu planning includes considering

preparation time and the waste involved. Try to

serve vegetables with skins or jackets on where

possible as this reduces labour and parings.

Try to re-use what

you initially thought

of as scrap by

implementing them in

other products. Meat

off-cuts can be used

for stews or pates.

Bits of fruit can be

used for fruit salad or fruit coulis. Tired vegetables

make great soup stock. Try to utilize every part of

the food possible.

Reduce SpoilageWork with suppliers to get produce delivered

on the right day for your menu. Keeping large

quantities of food on-hand to meet demands is not

only costly but risky.

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Make sure items are stored correctly, perishables

are properly labelled and dated and that staff use

proper stock rotation techniques. First in, last out

is the rule-of-thumb in the industry. Try to use

reusable glass containers rather than petroleum-

based plastic or plastic film wrap for storage. Check

and correct fridge temperature and clean fridges

regularly to ensure they are working efficiently.

Do not prepare large quantities of food ahead of

time. Try to make items on demand. Get wait staff

to “up sell” dishes that contain items that will be

going out of date soon.

Waste BinsIt makes good economic sense to sort waste

correctly the first time. Investigate what the local

requirements are regarding types of waste and

set up your bins accordingly. Make sure staff

uses the bins correctly and that food waste is

separated into the appropriate bins.

Do not send organic food waste to the landfill.

Set up an on-site composting area or arrange for

collection to a composting or anaerobic digestion

facility. Purchase an in-house digester.

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Building and Grounds MaintenanceBefore starting even one new thing you will need

to maximize what you have already. Tremendous

energy savings can be made by implementing

small changes as you can afford them.

Recommendations include low or no cost measures

as well as ones that need to be budgeted into

operation plans because they require more of an

outlay of revenue.

Low or No Cost Measures• Install faucet aerators in kitchen and bathroom

sinks. These devices

can reduce water

consumption by up to

50% and leaks can drip

away your profits quickly.

• Install a programmable

thermostat that

only activates the

heating or cooling

system when

people are in the

building.

• Install occupancy sensors. These

electrical devices work by motion

detection and lights only turn on

when someone enters the room.

These can also save you up to 50%

of your lighting costs.

• Ensure that kitchens and washrooms

use recycled paper products and

environmentally friendly soaps.

• Replace pre-rinse dishwashing

spray heads with energy efficient

models to cut water consumption

by up to 40%.

• Purchase only “green” cleaning

products that are non-toxic and

bio-degradable. Substitute

single-ingredient products such

as vinegar, baking soda, borax,

hydrogen peroxide and rubbing

alcohol where possible.

• Switch to compact

fluorescent or LED light

bulbs from incandescent.

These bulbs are deemed

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to last 4 to 15 times longer and only use 25%

of the electricity. Make sure there are no loose

connections in your electrical system as this can

amount to between 5 and 10% energy loss too.

• Install low-flow toilet tank devices.

• Set up a regular

maintenance

program for

air handlers,

coolers,

refrigerators,

ice machines,

dishwashers

and freezers.

Major

appliances can

consume up

to 32% more

energy than necessary if not properly serviced.

• Collect rainwater, air conditioning condensation and

grey water from hand washing for outdoor plant and

property maintenance. Also install water saving

devices on outdoor automatic systems which work

on real-time weather information so you are not

watering the lawn when it’s raining.

More Expensive Measures• Replace your existing hot water tank with a tank-

less water heater.

• When major appliances reach their end-of-life

cycle, replace them when energy efficient ones.

• Insulate spaces such as attics and basement areas

and replace windows with energy efficient designs.

• Install solar panels or wind turbines to produce

energy for lighting, cooling and heating.

• Switch waste disposal containers to composting

facilities on-site including compacting or anaerobic

digesting equipment.

Page 125Page 124

GREEN MARKETINGGoing green offers a substantial competitive

advantage in today’s market. Customers want

to buy from businesses that care about the

environment and that take measures to reduce

their carbon footprint.

Entrepreneurs who cater to the trend towards

sustainability are showing a steady rise in

profits and consumer loyalty. Profit margins are

attractively high for the food service industry

because they have implemented waste reduction

techniques in their food production and energy

consumption patterns. Customer loyalty built

on good, healthy business practices provides

them with the opportunity to stand above their

competition. They can promote their brand in a

unique way and are not subject to the price wars

and heavy competition of large chain business.

Certification and AccreditationPart of the trend towards green business is

becoming part of a recognizable organization

that has set standards for what is considered

green. These

standards include

acceptable levels

of energy usage

and specific waste

disposal limits.

The trend is

towards “zero

waste” where products are tracked from

production to the end of life and then reused

again to produce new products. Organizations

offer education and certification to those

businesses that meet the necessary guidelines.

There are certifications for almost all aspects

of the food service industry and for businesses

in general. While there are some global

organizations much is governed on the

Page 127Page 126

national level. Check with local authorities for

guidance. The following link is a good place to

look at where to start for your particular type of

business. http://www.nottawasaga.com/get/files/

Marketing%20Your%20Green%20Business-%20

Certification%20final%20%28Autosaved%29.pdf

Certifications can include green restaurant

certification, eco-tourism accreditation and

renewable resource sustainability certification.

These certifications are normally very exacting

and done over a considerable period time. They

can be expensive as well but the benefits far

outweigh the costs.

Digital MarketingThe movement towards zero waste is global and

green organizations are networked throughout the

planet. Today’s electronic society means instant

communication and your business’ image can be

decided with just the click of the mouse.

Many websites already exist where the user can

log on to find out whether your business is part

of this ever-expanding green network or not. This

trend will definitely increase as the need for waste

reduction increases and resources dwindle. Moving

your business towards sustainability now allows you

to market your business in many new ways.

If your business already has a website or blog to

keep in touch with the digital population you can

use this to promote your green accomplishments.

These platforms are an excellent place to

discuss your businesses’ sustainability goals and

achievements. Facebook, Twitter and Google

+ also offer free methods of spreading the news

about how you have reduced your carbon footprint.

Give specific examples of how your business did

something positive.

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If you are looking for the latest technology

solutions in marketing, feel free to email info@

foodbeverageinstitute.com.

Print MarketingIf you invest in accreditation programs or education

for your employees make sure you include this in

your printed documents. Adding a small paragraph

and a seal from the organization on your menu

and forms adds legitimacy and loyalty with both

clients and staff. Both want to know that they are

contributing to something bigger and may become

more conscientious themselves when they are

reminded of what you are doing.

Other ResourcesIf you are planning to build a new facility, you may

want to look at teaming up with a designer for a new

environmentally-friendly design. By teaming up from

the get go one can ensure that end products become

resources, not more landfill. Websites afford you the

opportunity to post your job online where a designer

can bid on it. Outsourcing may provide new ideas

at a reasonable cost and incorporate innovative

designs and materials.

Ones such site is www.

pulptheworld.com.

Another outsourcing site is

www.get-bids.com.au. This

free site may help you lower

your operating costs on food

and beverage or help you

source furniture, packaging,

cleaning materials, new

staff, banking, insurance , or

pest control. For all your bio

packaging and composting

needs go to www.biorenew.

com.au.

If you are a large institution

with large direct sourcing

projects email info@

foodbeverageinstitute.com

for personalised attention to

your needs.

Page 131Page 130

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTSmart business owners know that they must

change or be left behind. In fact, 69% of

business owners consider strengthening

customer relationships and enhancing product

innovation the way to improved profitability (Grant

Thornton Australia Ltd. “Food for Thought”,

2011). Traditional methods of retaining customers

have always been good food and good service

however being socially responsible is foremost

on consumers’ minds today too. On top of all

this, sustainability includes the customer making

decisions that have a positive impact on the world

and their life. This means that the customer must

contribute to the process of reduction too.

Social media -

thanks to social

media customer

participation can be

made quite simple.

Businesses can offer

discounts if the diner brings their own coffee cup

or takeout container. You can make a special

offer just to your online customers and then track

the impact.

Give back to the community - donate a portion

of your profits to a

community charity

such as your

local food bank

or environmental

organization.

Make sure that

you document

your contribution

in written

material such as

newsletters or posters.

Let customers help – quick service restaurants

have recycling bins right in the restaurant

because most customers will use them. Find

ways to let your customers play at least a small

role in your sustainability mission. Install a

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rack for printed matter such as newspapers and

magazines that can be reread by customers before

being recycled.

Inspire them to eat responsibly – provide tips

for reducing waste on your menu such as ordering

smaller portions. Remind customers that leftovers

can be taken home if need be but that it is far

better to order only what you can consume.

Suggest that customers let the serving staff know

when they know they will not eat part of a meal. If

you do not like coleslaw with your burger, ask for it

without it.

VISION FOR THE FUTUREReducing waste is a good first step for any

business, both economically and socially.

However, global trends suggest that the entire

concept of waste should be totally eliminated.

World consumers are looking at ways to reuse

what we now consider to be waste so it can be

used as a resource to produce again.

Some industry experts already use services that

source materials which are considered waste

by other processes. Substances that result

from industrial processes may be exactly what a

business needs to make its product. Of course,

in order to do this the end waste product must be

free from hazardous properties that make them

unusable and unmanageable in quantities.

Zero Waste strategies consider the entire life-

cycle of products. With this in mind, waste can

be prevented if the end product has another

Page 135Page 134

purpose. This is not possible with petroleum-based

products as the level of resources needed to produce

and then extract a reusable end product is far too

great. New strategies include implementing bio-

degradable, renewable resources that can compost

with ease and without damage to the environment.

Zero Waste

NEXT STEPSThe move towards global efficiency in food

production and the strong emphasis on waste

reduction indicate that we need to re-evaluate how

we are getting food from the fields to the table.

Mass production, long-distance shipping and poor

accountability are not what today’s’ customer

wants. Food service businesses need to find

new ways to provide for them or they may just eat

at home. If your business today is not willing to

embrace sustainability it will be overshadowed by

innovators who will. Experts agree that there are

several ways to address this need.

Organic production and preservationMost consumers are very

aware of the negative

effects of chemicals on our

food sources. The side

effects of insecticides and

the problems surrounding

Page 137Page 136

genetically modified foods are in the news daily.

Consumers want to know that their food is coming

from a safe source free of these threats.

At one time organic foods were expensive because

there wasn’t a huge market for them. Today’s

consumer will go out of their way to buy organic

and pay a premium to get it. Although some large

production companies have cashed in on the

organic movement many others remain steadfast in

their production methods. This leads the consumer

to seek smaller, more local food production.

Local FoodThe term “locavore” has emerged to describe

someone who exclusively or primarily eats foods

within a determined radius from their home. By

eating locally, most locavores hope to create a

greater connection to their food sources, avoid

industrialized and processed food, and support

their local economy. This trend has been echoed in

many food service businesses in direct response.

The global trend for chefs seems to be that regional

ingredients must

be included in

their dishes today.

Chefs polled by

the US National

Restaurant

Association

ranked locally

sourced meats

and seafood

the number

one trend for

2012. Canadian

chefs identified

locally produced food and locally inspired dishes

were the hottest trends for 2011 (The Canadian

Restaurant and Foodservices Association).

This burgeoning interest in locally produced meat,

poultry, fruits and vegetables carries on into a

preference for other locally sourced products such

as beer and wine. Most notably, sustainability

is of prime importance in the fish and seafood

Page 139Page 138

market. The National Director of Foodservice

Sales and Marketing at Export Packers Co. Ltd.

says that sustainable seafood “isn’t just a trend

anymore. It has become normal business for any

reputable company wanting to succeed in the

seafood industry.”

Increasingly you will find kitchens that know

where all of their food comes from and you will

see this information on the menu. Employees are

knowledgeable and they can pass on this valuable

information to the customer.

Local Food SourcesIn the past one of the obstacles to using local food

has always been supply. Local farmers produced

limited quantities and this simply was not sufficient

to supply a large food service business. However,

after years of looking for solutions sustainability

experts have developed many practical and

reasonable methods for supplying businesses.

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)Community-supported agriculture is a food

production and distribution system that directly

connects farmers and consumers. Consumers buy

“shares” in a farm’s harvest in advance. A food

service business can invest in a local farmer who

has shown to produce an excellent product at a

reasonable price. This system works well because

farmers earn important early season capital and

have a guaranteed market for their produce. Food

services businesses enjoy overall lower food

costs, field-fresh produce, and greater access to

hard to find speciality items.

This method of production can be used for

seafood as well. Community-supported

fisheries involve businesses buying a share of a

fisherman’s or fishery’s catch.

Page 141Page 140

Rooftop GreenhouseGotham Greens is New York City’s is a prime

example of how fresh produce can be obtained,

even in the city. Their 15,000 square foot rooftop

greenhouse is kept fully enclosed, which allows

them to control pest infestation without using

pesticides. “We can harvest something in the

morning and have it on the supermarket shelf

or restaurant plate that same afternoon,” said a

Gotham Green’s representative.

This type of on-site farming is on the rise for

restaurants that have the space. Many restaurants

now grow vegetables and then compost waste for

use in their own garden. Some take it even further

and collect grey water from hand and dishwashing

to water their garden or install wind or solar powered

devices to reduce or eliminate the need for energy in

their greenhouses.

Some cities also promote vacant lot gardening as it

reduces vandalism and dumping and greens up the

neighbourhood. According to the USDA; around 15

percent of the world’s food is now grown in urban areas.

Co-op Grocery StoresAs many small farmers do not produce enough for

large food enterprises many form co-operative ventures

where their collective goods can be sold. These co-ops

usually have lower prices as the food does not have

to travel far and there are few middlemen marking up

the costs. Meat and produce is normally organic and

hormone-free.

Page 143Page 142

Production ContractsProduction contracts

were used for years in

the production sector

of food services.

Now they are being

used by large-scale

restaurant operations

too. Producers

agree to provide

a specific quantity

of a product to the

buyer first before

marketing to anyone

else. Producers

get the security of

knowing that a large

portion of their goods

are spoken and

restaurants get the

security of a fixed

price in a very volatile market.

SUMMARYThe move towards sustainability is more than just

learning to reduce waste. It also entails education

within the workplace, with customers and in the

community.

Reaching to our customers to let them know how

they can help is vital to a successful sustainability

program. They need to know that we have their

interests in mind and follow ethical practices

to produce what they consume. Furthermore,

sustainability in the food service industry must

be focused on the future. By using responsible

food management techniques now we ensure the

survival of this vital resource for the future.

Corporate social responsibility has moved to the

forefront of the consumers’ mind. It is clear that

it is no longer an option to choose methods that

pollute or waste. Consumers are educated and

they will not accept this as a viable option anymore

– they know better. The consumer is bombarded

Page 145Page 144

with new information every day about the results

of irresponsible corporate management. Species

continue to go extinct, rainforests continue to be

decimated and fresh water is disappearing. Global

weather patterns have changed and the sea levels

continue to rise. No one will accept the excuse of

higher cost as an excuse for a lack of responsibility.

The cost of not going green is far too high.

Continuing your journey to learn more about going

green, visit www.biorenew.com.au to learn more

about bio-plastics basics, product and marketing

positioning, product end-of-life options and much

more sign up for a membership at www.biorenew.

com.au.

Bio Renew Pty Ltd. 61 2 9420 4222Michael Webber

info@biorenew.com.auwww.biorenew.com.au

Zero Waste Systems