1

The ultimate guide

How to reduce food waste in the hospitality and food service sector

Save money. Tackle climate change.Show your customers that you care.

2

ContentsIntroduction 3

Thetarget 4

Whyreduceyourfoodwaste 5

Preventingfoodwaste 9

Topactionsforpreventingfoodwaste 11

GoodtoGoisgoodforall 18

Seeourfoodwastetipsinaction 20

2

We can help you prevent food waste

If you’re a food and drink business, we can help you prevent unnecessary food waste.Call 01786 433 930 or email food.drink@zerowastescotland.org.uk and ask about our free food and drink opportunity assessments.

www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/FoodDrink

3

Introduction

Ifyourbusinessisthrowingoutfoodthenit’scostingyoumoney,andit’shavingabigimpactonsociety.Butdon’tworry–thisguideisheretohelp

Ifyou’reinthefoodbusiness,you’llknowallaboutfoodthatgoestowaste.Youmightthinkit’sdifficulttoavoidfoodwaste.Afterall,youcan’tforceyourcustomerstoeatallthefoodontheirplates,andsurelypeelingvegetableswillalwayscausethatfoodcaddytobulgealittle?

AtZeroWasteScotland,we’reactivelysupportingsmallandmediumfoodbusinessesbyconductingfreeauditstoidentifywheretheycouldreducewaste.We’veseenthattherearesimpletipsandtricksthatcanshavesignificantslicesoffoodfromyourwastepile.

Manyofthesecostnothingtoimplement,oratleastverylittle.Forexample,simplyreassessingportionsizescanbesurprisinglyeffective–oneIndianrestaurantisalreadysaving£5,000ayearmakingadjustmentsinthisway.Listeningtoyourstaff,and

askingfortheirideasandinput,canworkwonders.Kitchenstaffandserverswillseewherewasteiscomingfromandwillhavesuggestionsastohowtoreduceit.Apracticalwayofpreventingfoodendingupinthebinisforyourservingstafftoofferyourcustomersadoggybagfortheirleftovers.Thentherearethebiggerinvestmentsinmoderntechnologyyoumightnotknowabout–forexample,filtrationfryersorvacuumpackmachines–whichcanreducewasteandmakeyourbusinessmoreeffective.Youmightneedtofundyourprojectbutthepaybackwillbeworthit–especiallywhenwecanhelpyoutoaccessGovernmentfundingincludingtheinterest-free,unsecuredSMELoan.

Sohereisourultimateguidetoreducingfoodwasteinthehospitalityandfoodservicesector.We’vekeptitshortandinplainEnglish.

But if you need more help, or a more detailed assessment of opportunities for saving waste in your business, call us on 01786 433 930 or email food.drink@zerowastescotland.org.uk and askabout our free food and drinkopportunity assessments.

4

The target

TheScottishGovernmenthassetachallengingfoodwastereductiontargetaspartofMakingThingsLast:ACircularEconomyStrategyforScotland.

ThetargetistoreducefoodwasteinScotlandby33%by2025.

HospitalityandcateringcompaniesinScotlandcanmakeasignificantcontributiontothisreductionwhiledrivingdownbusinesscosts,maximisingprofitsandshowcasingtheenvironmentalcredentialsoftheindustry.

ThecostoffoodwastefromtheUKhospitalityandservicesectorwasestimatedatover£3.2billionin20181.Theequivalentof106millionmealsarediscardedeveryyearinScotland.That’soneoutofeverysixmealsserved.

1WRAP(2020)UKprogressagainstCourtauld2025targetsandUSSustainableDevelopmentGoal12.3.Availableat:https://wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Progress_against_Courtauld_2025_targets_and_UN_SDG_123.pdf

5

33%by 2025

let’s stop wasting food, together.

6

Why reduce your food waste?

Reducingfoodwastemakesgoodbusinesssenseinaworldoffiniteresourcesandincreasingfinancialpressures.Don’tbelieveus?Readon…

Throwingawayfoodiscostingyoumoney.It’sestimatedthata240-litrewheeliebinfilledwithfoodwastecostsaround£151forfoodpurchaseandwastedisposal.Ifyou’refillingonewheeliebinwithfoodwasteeveryweek,it’scostingyoumorethan£7,852ayear.

Thenthere’sthecostofpreparingandcookingthefood,payingstafftoworkwiththefood,anddealingwiththepackaging.

7

Saving

Ifsavingmoneyisn’tenough,hereareafewotherreasonstoreducefoodwaste

SavetimewhilestayinglegalAllfoodbusinessesproducingmorethan5kgoffoodwasteaweekmustsegregatetheirfoodwasteforcollectionunlesstheyareundertheruralexemption.

HelpScotlandmeetitsambitiousfoodwastetargetScotlandiscommittedtoreducingfoodwaste,by33percentby2025andby50percentby2030.Wecandoitifwealldoourbit.

YourcustomerswillloveyouPeoplearebecomingmoreconcernedaboutclimateissuesandmorediscerningintheirchoices.Reducingfoodwasteshowsthatyoucare.

Savewater,energyandcarbonGrowing,producingandtransportingfooduseshugeamountsofwater,fossilfuelandenergy–allthingswecan’taffordtosquander.

DivertfromlandfillFoodwasteinlandfillbreaksdownintomethane,oneofthemostdamaginggreenhousegases.

8

Staying legal

What the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 mean for food businesses

Theregulationsrequirethatnon-ruralfoodbusinessesproducingover5kgoffoodwasteperweekmustpresentthiswasteseparatelyforcollection(somerurallocationsareexempt).It’salsonowillegaltodisposeoffoodwastetoapublicsewer.Assuchbusinessesmustremovefoodwastedisposalunits,suchasmacerators,fromtheirpremises.Equipmentthat’sdesignedtodealwithfoodwastemustmaximisethenutrientandcalorificvalueofthefood.Theuseofdewateringsystems,whichdriesoutandreducestheweightoffoodwaste,isallowed.Systemsthatuseenzymestodigestfoodwasteandconvertittogreywaterarenot.

9

Preventing food waste

Thebestwaytodealwithfoodwasteistopreventitfromhappeninginthefirstinstance.We’dliketosharesomeadviceandourtoptipsforpreventingfoodwasteinyourbusiness.

Preventingfoodwastesitsatthetopofthefoodanddrinkwastehierarchy(seediagramonpage10).It’stheholygrailoffoodwastemanagement.Thefoodyoudon’tbuyanddon’tcookwillneverbewasted.Preventingfoodwastethereforemaximisesfinancialandcarbonsavingsbypreventingrawmaterialsbeingusedinthefirstplace.

Thenextoptionistoredistributefoodtohumansoranimals.Ifthatcan’tbedone,foodwastecanberecycledusingsystemssuchasanaerobicdigestionorcomposting.Disposingoffoodwastetolandfillistheworstcourseofactionyoucantake.Avoiditifyoucan.

10

Most preferable option

Prevention• Waste of raw materials, ingredients and product

arising is reduced - measured in overall reduction in waste.

• Redistribution to people.

• Make animal feed from former food.

• Bio-material processing.

Recycling

• Waste sent to anaerobic digestion.

• Waste composted.• Waste used for landspreading.

Recovery• Incineration of waste with energy recovery.

Disposal• Waste incinerated without energy recovery.• Waste sent to landfill.• Waste ingredient/product going to sewer.

Least preferable option

Prevention

Waste

Preventing food waste

11

Top actions for preventing food waste

Moretoptipsforpreventingfoodwasteinyourbusiness.

MonitoringfoodwasteMonitoringandmeasuringfoodwasteisagreatwaytoidentifythesourcesofwasteandtrackprogressofyourwastemanagementtechniques.The‘three-bin’approachworkswellandcollectswastefromthreeareas:preparation,spoiledfoodandcustomerplates.Onceyou’veidentifiedthehotspotsforfoodwaste,youcanimplementtargetedreductionmeasuresandmonitortheirsuccess.

We’dliketosharesomeadviceandourtoptipsforpreventingfoodwasteinyourbusinesscoveringthefollowingareas:

•Menudesign,purchasingandordering

•Storageandoperationalefficiency•Coldstorage•Handlingandpreparation•Portioncontrolandplatewaste•Getyourstaffonboard

12

Menu design, purchasing and ordering

Carefulmenudesignisoneofthemosteffectivewaystoreducefoodwaste.

Rationalise the number of ingredients across the menu Forexample,useoneingredientcookedindifferentwaysacrossanumberofdishes.

Keep the menu simple and consider regular menu updates Forexample,removedishesthatareprovinglesspopular.

Have a ‘chefs special’ each dayTohelpuseupleftoveringredientsinaflexibleandcreativeway.

Work towards ‘just-in-time’ deliveryRatherthanpre-orderinglargequantitiesofperishables.Thisensuresthatyouonlyorderwhatyouneedandwillhelptominimisestoragecostsandspoilage.

13

Storage and operational efficiency

Howyoustore,andknowingyourbestbeforedates,canmakeallthedifference.

Storage of foodStorefreshproductsandrawingredientsinthemostappropriateenvironmenttoincreasetheirusablelife.Forexample,storecucumberandeggsatanambienttemperatureinsteadofinthefridge.

RotationContinuallyrotateproducebyputtingthenewestproductatthebackoftheshelfsothattheoldestisautomaticallyusedfirst.Clearlylabelandorganiseproductswiththeir‘useby’dates.

Still goodRememberthat‘bestbefore’datesmaymeantheproductisstillacceptableforuse.

OrganisationPlaceallitemsofthesametype(forexample,glassjarsandcans)fromthesamesupplierononeshelforinonearea.Thiswayyoucaneasilyseewhatyouneedandimprovestockcontrol.

Measure everythingMeasureingredientsusingcups,measuringjugsandscalestoreduceerrorsiningredientquantities.

Avoid cooking in bulkCooktoorderratherthancookinginbulkbyschedulingpreparationandcookingtimesforwhenthefoodisneeded.

14

Cold storage

Chillingandfreezingfoodisagreatwaytosaveitforanotherday.

Natural coolingAllowfoodtonaturallycoolbeforeplacingintothefridgeorfreezer.Thishelpsreducetheenergyusedforstorage.

LabellingLabelfoodwiththedateitwentintothefreezerandkeeptrackofwhat’sinthefreezerbykeepinganup-to-datelist.Achalkboardonthewall,orwipe-cleanboardwithmarkers,canmakethisquickandeasy.

Storage containersUseairtightcontainersforstoringfoodandkeeplabelshandytomarkdates.Storedairyproducts,cookedmeat,rawmeats,fishandfruitandvegetablesseparately.Alwaysfollowfoodhygienestandardsforstorage.

15

Handling and preparation

Use,reuse,removeexcessandmakesureyoualwaysmeasure.

Don’t cut them outAvoidexcesstrimmingoffish,meatandvegetables.Orderpre-cutandtrimmeditemsifit’spossibleandappropriateforyourbusinessmodel.

Be inventiveOr,getcreativewithtrimmingsandexcesstomakepâtés,soupsandstocks.Freezeexcessberriesforcoulisorsmoothies.Makeexcessbreadintobreadcrumbsforcoatingsorcroutonstoaddtosoupsandsmallplates.

Storage containersUseairtightcontainersforstoringfoodandkeeplabelshandytomarkdates.Storedairyproducts,cookedmeat,rawmeats,fishandfruitandvegetablesseparately.Alwaysfollowfoodhygienestandardsforstorage.

Avoid peelingOffer‘skin-on’boiled,bakedandroastedpotatoestoreducetheamountofwastepeelingsandtoretainnutrients.

Be careful of over-preppingTrytoavoidpre-preparationoffoodthatwillspoilquickly.Storeleftoverfoodsafelyforusethenextdaywhereappropriate.

Measure everythingUsestandardisedmeasuringequipment,suchasmeasuringspoons,toreducepreparationwasteandkeepportionsizesconsistent.

Catch every bit of food wasteFitstrainerstoallsinksusedforcleaningequipmentassociatedwithfoodpreparation,servingandplatewaste.Ensuresolidsaretippedintotheappropriatebinratherthangoingdownthedrain.

Handle with careHandleproduceproperlytoensurethatproductshelflifeismaximized–bruisedordamagedfreshproductswillresultinextrawaste.Checkandinspectproduceondeliveryandreturnanythingthatisdamagedstraightaway.

16

Portion control and plate waste Sizemattersifyouwanttostopyourcustomerswastingfood.

Plates sizeTakealookatthesizeofyourplates.Ifthey’retoobig,itmaybeencouragingcustomerstotakemorefood,whichmaybecreatingunnecessaryplatewaste.

ConsistencyForstandardportionsizes,keeptheseconsistentandusestandardspoonsandmeasuressothatportionsizesdon’tcreepup.

Light optionsOffersmallerportionsizesfortoddlers,childrenandlightereaters.

Smaller sidesIfcustomersareregularlyleavingtheirsidedishesuneaten,considerservingsmallerportionsbutofferrefillsorasecondhelpingiftheywantmore.

Benefits of smaller servingsSmallerportionscanbeappealingandhelpthecustomertodecidetopurchaseasecondorthirdcourse,whichcanhelptoboostsales.

Good to GoGivecustomerstheoptiontotakehometheirleftoverfoodindoggybags.

17

Get your staff on board Yourpeoplearethekeytoreducingunnecessaryfoodwaste.

Make staff awareTalktoyourstaffabouttheimportanceofmanagingwastewithregardstocompanypolicyandlegalrequirementssuchastheWaste(Scotland)Regulations2012.

Make sure staff understandEmphasisetheimportanceofcapturingfoodwaste–forexample,scrapingsfrompots.Ensurethatpeopleunderstandwhateachwastebinisforandhowthewasteshouldbesegregated.

Communicate with customersAskyourstafftogiveacleardescriptionofmealoptionstocustomers,forexample,regardingportionsizeorsideorderrequirements

Teamwork and trainingAppointaFoodWasteorGreenChampion,orevenaGreenTeam,toencourageownershipofwastereduction.Freetrainingmodulesandresourcesareavailableonline.

RemindersPutuppostersandsignageasreminderstostaff.

FeedbackAskstaffforfeedbackonwastepreventionandwastepractices.Gettheirideasonhowtoimprovethings.

1818

Good to Go is good for all

Encouragingyourcustomerstotakehometheirleftoversstopsuneatenfoodfromgoingstraightintothebin.Tellthemit’sgoodtogo…

Accordingtoourresearch,fouroutoftencustomerswouldliketobeoffereddoggybagsbutaretooembarrassedtoask.Butofferthemdoggybagsbeforetheythinktoaskandthey’reusuallyhappytoaccept.Givingyourcustomerstheoption

totakeawaytheirleftoverscanreduceplatescrapingsbyaround40percent.Thiscanreducefoodwastesignificantlyovertimeaspeoplebecomecomfortablewiththeidea.

19

For more information on the Good to Go scheme, visit www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/GoodToGo

Good to Go benefits

ZeroWasteScotland’s‘GoodtoGo’boxeshavebroughtanumberofbenefitstorestaurantsincluding...

Decreased waste costsMinimisationoffoodwasteandadecreaseinassociatedwastemanagementcosts.

Happy customersIncreasedcustomersatisfactionwiththediningexperience.

Sustainable businessEnhancementofbusinesssustainabilitycredentials.

Customer confidenceIncreasedcustomerconfidencethroughuseofalabelled,endorsed

‘GoodtoGo’boxasopposedtoregulartakeawaycontainers.

Improved turnoverIncreasedsaleswherecustomersfeelmoreconfidentorderingathree-coursemealdespiteuncertaintyastowhethertheycanfinishit.

Be Good to GoThemessageisclear–iftheydon’teatit,letthemtakeit.Afterall,they’vepaidforit.Tellyourcustomersthatyourfoodisgoodtogo.

20

See our food waste tips in action

WatchthebelowvideotohearfromotherhospitalitybusinessesinScotlandandseewhatthey’redoingtoreducetheirfoodwaste.

21

Zero Waste Scotland offers all businesses help not only to prevent food waste but to save money, tackle climate change and to show customers that you care.

We’re here to help.Calluson01786433930Emailfood.drink@zerowastescotland.org.ukVisitwww.zerowastescotland.org.uk/FoodDrink