In the Netherlands, consumer food waste costs about 131 kg CO2 per person per year. If dairy through the sink is also included, the emissions from wasting come to 154 kg CO2. This means that some 8 to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by our food. 14% of this food waste comes from catering establishments. With the 5 tips below, you as a hospitality venue can reduce your carbon footprint by reducing food waste.
Obvious and perhaps a little cliché; a proper storage system. Yet this is something that is lacking in many a restaurant or hotel. How ingredients are stored makes a big difference in what ends up being thrown away. Food that is not stored properly will, logically, spoil faster.
Refrigerators and freezers should always be at the right temperature so that food does not spoil before its expiry date. But what is the right temperature? According to research by voedingscentrum.nl shows that 80% of respondents do not know that 4°C is the ideal temperature for the fridge. The optimal freezing temperature is -18°C.
An extra tip: As a restaurant, you can invest in a (sustainable) generator, which will provide your refrigeration with back-up power in case of power failure. This ensures that the ingredients in the refrigerator never spoil before their best-before date.
Finally, adopting the FIFO method is a good idea: First In, First Out. With FIFO, stock is organised and rotated so that the oldest ingredients are used first, reducing food waste due to spoilage. With this method, it may take a little longer to load the new stock into the shelves and fridge, it does ensure less wastage of food.
Why still throw away when you can earn an extra?
The Danish app Too Good To Go has been combating food waste since 2015 and also conquered the Dutch market in 2018. Through the app, shops and restaurants can offer leftover food in the form of a package, the Magic Box. Consumers can collect these Magic Boxes at the end of the day for a small fee. The buyer does not know exactly what is in the package, which makes it extra exciting. But much more importantly; this way still edible food is not thrown away, the buyer has good food for a small price, and the seller extra income.
Another technological development contributing to food waste is the Orbisk. A fully automated food waste monitor. Using image recognition, Orbisk immediately recognises which ingredients are thrown away, in what quantity and at what time of day. This data is displayed in a clear dashboard, allowing you to reduce food waste in a way that suits your kitchen. Reducing food waste starts with knowing how much and when you throw away what. You can then use this to optimise your purchasing process. Orbisk says on average it will increase the profit margin by 2 to 8%.
Fact: Orbisk now has 130,000 kg food waste saved.
A less technological alternative to combat not direct food waste but CO2 emissions is the ECOO unit. Research shows that this separation bin provides 30% more separation on average. Which is obviously a good contribution to the environment.
Leftover day, we've all tried it at one time or another. However, the idea is often better than the execution. Do you have lots of leftovers but no advice what to do with them? Supercook has the solution. Perhaps for consumers rather than restaurants, but this app actually lets you enter what "leftovers" you have, after which the app automatically recommends a delicious dish.
Leftover vegetables, meat, dishes or soups are obviously better given away than thrown away. Give leftovers another chance by donating them. You can do this, for example, at the organisation Neighbourhood Belly. BuurtBuik saves food from being wasted by collecting food from catering establishments, supermarkets and greengrocers and sharing it with local residents. "This is how we make a better neighbourhood together: we bring local residents together, give each other a helping hand and save food from the waste bin." Alternatives are the food bank or other foundations. A little "goodwill" can't hurt.
How do you reduce food waste?
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