BUSINESS
Don't let your food go to waste.
On average, Canadian households visit a food establishment 520 times a year - more than once daily.The average restaurant produces 150,000 pounds of garbage each year (Source: Green Restaurants Association) with the majority of this waste ending up in the landfill. We all play a role in reducing waste and, by better managing waste at the source, restaurants can help take a bite out of food waste. It’s easy to cater to the environment as well as your customers with simple changes to your daily business routine.
Sending less organic material to the landfill translates into lower waste disposal costs. Approximately one-third of the food produced for human consumption each year (about 1.3 billion tonnes) is wasted. Considering this, detailed planning and proper food storage should be considered to help reduce food waste. Because 30% of waste in our province is organic, composting can be an environmentally friendly and effective method of food disposal.
Let’s not forget take-out and fast food. According to Statistics Canada, 61% of meals prepared in restaurants in 2004 were eaten elsewhere – resulting in excess waste and packaging to get those tasty treats from the store to home. Rethink packaging options by looking for containers that are made with recycled content, skip the Styrofoam, and be accepting of customers who bring their own containers. Help your customers take out, without.