Cooking up a solution – saving costs by recycling food waste

According to a study of more than 200 catering sites by AI technology business Winnow, commercial kitchens typically throw away between 4-12% of all the food they purchase. From plate scrapings and spoiled produce to shells, gristle and bones, the vast majority of unwanted waste is simply binned.

However, with landfill tax rates across England and Northern Ireland now sitting at a staggering £96.70 per tonne, combined with ever-increasing budgetary pressures resulting from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, waste is fast becoming one of the sector’s largest overheads – and by far its biggest headache. 

Is this perfect storm of market forces the final nail in the coffin for the UK’s struggling catering and hospitality sector, or is there an effective solution that could help to successfully offset bills? At ReFood, we believe the latter. Indeed, if waste is seen as a resource, businesses have the opportunity to reduce their disposal costs by more than 50%.

A sustainable solution

Food waste recycling provides a simple, sustainable and cost-effective way to dispose of unwanted waste. The natural process sees food broken down in the absence of oxygen via anaerobic digestion (AD) to create renewable energy and sustainable liquid biofertiliser. 

Nothing is wasted from start to finish. This means that food waste can be easily diverted away from landfill, with zero landfill tax charges to pay. For catering and hospitality businesses, this could see waste management bills effectively cut in half – a sizable impact to operational overheads. 

But the positives don’t end there. Alongside the financial benefits, food waste recycling delivers a notable environmental impact too. When food waste rots in landfill, it releases greenhouse gas emissions with a global warming potential more than 21 times greater than carbon dioxide. By switching from traditional waste management solutions to food waste recycling, you effectively eliminate the issue.

The ‘avoidable’ fraction

So why then, with such obvious benefits, is food waste recycling not the industry’s silver bullet solution? In short, because more than 60% of all food binned by hospitality and catering businesses across the UK shouldn’t be wasted in the first place.

Indeed, thanks to overordering, poor stock rotation, unnecessary garnishes, supersize meals and failing to use leftovers, businesses are effectively throwing away their profits. While disposal tax is a significant challenge, more so is unnecessary (and completely avoidable) waste.

But tackling this issue shouldn’t be a chore and, what’s more, it won’t break the bank. Here’s some of the most common reasons for food waste and how to effectively tackle them at source:

• Avoid overordering – keep an updated inventory and regularly audit how much food you’re serving 
• Tackle stock organisation – try implementing a first in, first out system to prevent unnecessary spoilage
• Audit storage systems – make sure your storage solutions are effective to avoid perishables turning before they’ve been used
• Love your leftovers – transform excess ingredients into delicious soups, sauces and stocks
• Avoid supersizing portions – most patrons will waste a huge amount of excess food, so be mindful of portion sizes
• Remove unpopular dishes – try halving your menu size, removing unfavoured items and promoting local specialities
• Offer doggie bags – encourage patrons to take leftovers home to avoid unnecessary food waste

Our advice is simple – tackle the source of waste to understand how, where and why it arises. Then, make simple but hard-hitting changes to reduce the amount of waste generated. Finally, if there are unavoidable items (such as bones, gristle, shells and spoiled produce), make sure you have a hard-working food waste recycling service in place to prevent unnecessary landfill tax charges. 

Painting a new waste management landscape

As the sector looks forward to its long-awaited resurgence, tight overheads and uncertainty over future customer demand means that savvy operators should be looking at effective ways to cut unnecessary costs. Cutting waste relies on a multi-faceted approach to tackle it from multiple angles. 

If adopted in line with the principles outlined by the food waste hierarchy, food waste recycling recognises waste as the valuable resource it is. A simple yet effective solution, businesses can divert waste from landfill, improve profits and boost their green credentials alongside.