Recycling may be good for the environment but it’s also good for restaurants’ bottom lines.
A study conducted by Georgia-Pacific Professional and the National Restaurant Association earlier this year showed that 60 percent of consumers prefer to patronize a restaurant that has an active recycling program.
Georgia-Pacific Professional offers nine tips for restaurants to run an effective recycling program:
1. Audit your waste
Review what is thrown away every day and identify what can or can’t be recycled. Some common items that are thrown away but could actually be recycled, says John Mulcahy, vice president, strategy and category effectiveness, include cardboard boxes, bottles and cans, glass, aluminum, cooking oil, newspapers and office paper, paper cups, plates and paper silverware.
2. Select a recycling champion
Choose an employee to champion and oversee your waste reduction/recycle program, track results, and report progress on a regular basis.
The Conserve Education and Recognition Program (www.conserve.restaurant.org) offers useful tools and resources that can help you track waste, conduct a waste audit, locate a recycler, etc.
3. Set up bins/containers for recyclables
Clearly identify and color code containers for recyclable items such as glass, metals, and plastics. Keep paper in a separate blue container, use green for organics, and black for garbage.
Cut holes in container lids and use clear, biodegradable plastic bags so recyclables are visible. Post signs with pictures and simple, concise instructions on or above the recycle bins.
4. Identify your recycler
Check with your waste hauler/recycler to identify the kinds of recycling programs that are offered in your area. While some communities have curbside recycling pick up, the kinds of materials that are picked up vary. Some items, such as cooking oil and batteries, cannot be processed curbside and require a different recycling process.
5. Separate or single stream?
Based on your pickup program, you may be able to single steam your common recyclables. With single stream, you do not sort recyclables. All designated recyclable materials go into one bin and are sorted at a recycling facility.
Separate stream recycling may offer your business the opportunity to offset some of the costs associated with recyclable material pick-up; this will depend primarily on the volume of recyclable materials your business is able to capture. Contact your recycling material pick-up vendor to discuss these options.
6. Co-op or consolidate for financial payback
Recycling large amounts of glass, paper, and aluminum cans generates substantial revenues from recyclers who pay for non-contaminated goods. To reap those financial benefits, independent operators can form co-ops or recycling alliances with other restaurants or businesses in the area.
If there is a common area in which separate stream recycling can take place among several businesses, contact your property management team and recyclable material pick-up vendor to see if this is a viable option for your business. Chain operators can gain the same benefits by developing a central collection point for their recyclables.
7. Create a recycle environment
Train employees on the importance of recycling. Show them what to recycle and discard.
Managers and restaurant operators should work with their employees to improve the effectiveness of the recycling program and help them understand how it works.
Teach employees that recyclable items placed in the trash increase tipping fees (fees charges by waste haulers) for the restaurant and reduce the quantity of recycled materials.
Conversely, placing non-recyclable materials into the recycling stream can contaminate the load, causing it to be rejected, again increasing operating costs.
8. Promote your efforts
Let your customers and community know how you are recycling and helping the environment. The Conserve Education and Recognition Program offers numerous ways in which you can promote the efforts of your business, including in the media, online, or in the restaurant itself by using signage, table tents, and messaging on the menu.
Georgia-Pacific and NRA survey suggested that some of the most effective ways to reach consumers include through a website or social media forum (such as Facebook and Twitter), as well as printed material in-store, including menus, posters and table tents.
9. Take action by joining a local recycling initiative
Sometimes the best way to enhance your recycling efforts is to join forces with other local businesses. Atlanta’s Zero Waste Zones (www.elementalimpact.org/zwz-join) and Sustainable Food Court Initiative programs are good examples of this.
By Amanda Baltazar
