9 Ways to Make Your Restaurant More Eco-friendly

There are a surprising number of ways to make your restaurant more eco-friendly. What’s more, these green practices aren’t about hopping on some trendy bandwagon. They enable you to do your part in contributing to a better, cleaner world while reducing your own costs in the process.

In addition, surveys over the years (in 2012, 2015, and 2017) have demonstrated a growing desire by the consumer base to buy from eco-conscious companies. If you’ve been looking for a profit-boosting solution that would benefit both you and your customers, this might just be it.

Here are 9 ways to get started:

1. Buy Local

Whether it’s the produce you prepare your meals with or the liquor you stock your bar with, look to buy from local vendors first. This practice helps cut down on some of the negative environmental side effects associated with shipping goods from long-distance vendors.

If you have space, you might even think about growing your own produce.

2. Use Organic Ingredients

This one is sure to delight customers who prefer the potential health benefits and freshness of organic food. But don’t just stop there. Look for organic cooking and cleaning products to start using around the restaurant as well.

3. Create a Seasonal Menu

If you live somewhere with changing seasons, consider adapting your menu to reflect the kinds of produce available during those times of the year. It will make local sourcing of goods much easier. It’ll also help you cut costs as your menu will be powered by ingredients when they’re the cheapest (and freshest) to use.

4. Use an Inventory Management System

If you’re not keeping track of the amount of food waste produced by your restaurant, now is a good time to start.

With inventory management software and monitoring tools, you can keep a closer eye on your perishable goods. Gather enough data, and you’ll be able to accurately predict how much of each item you need to purchase each week to be fully stocked up without encroaching into “waste” territory.

5. Get Reusable or Recyclable Packaging

Take a look at the to-go packages you use now. If the containers are styrofoam, consider switching to washable packages that can be saved and reused by your customers. And if you’re packing things up in plastic bags or containers, swap them out for recyclable paper or cardboard.

6. Set Up Recycling and Composting Bins

If you run a fast-casual restaurant, replace your trash cans with eco-friendly bins that have labels that show customers (and staff) how to properly dispose of the remnants of their meals. The same can be done in other restaurants, only in the back of the house. Just remember to train your team on what to do with the recycling and composting bins at the end of the night.

7. Conserve Water

Your kitchens and bathrooms are prime areas for water waste. One way to cut down on this is by installing motion-sensor taps. You might also want to invest in water-efficient appliances like toilets and dishwashers.

8. Get Energy-efficient Equipment

On a related note, if you’re in the market for new equipment and appliances, look at your kitchen appliances, refrigerators, lighting systems, as well as your heating and electricity provider. Then, make sure energy conservation (even if it’s just remembering to turn the lights and computers off at the end of the night) is part of your staff’s training.

9. Cut Paper Costs

With the convenience and efficiency offered by cloud-based software, it’s so much easier these days to cut down on paper waste. Everywhere you look, there are paperless options.

Use POS systems that allow for digital receipts. Work with vendors that send digital invoices. Use digital training and documentation systems. Give your hosts a digital reservation management. And don’t forget to digitize your feedback system. Not only will this keep you from losing feedback documented on loose sheets of paper, but it’ll empower you and your management team to more effectively handle issues when they arise.

How to Make Your Restaurant More Eco-friendly

As you can see, there are many ways to turn your restaurant into an eco-friendly and cost-efficient machine. Start building these green practices into your business and you’ll see a positive response from diners, employees, and the surrounding community as a result.