Simple Ways To Make Your Restaurant More Eco Friendly

Over the past few years, many restaurant franchise giants, including KFC, Subway, and McDonald’s, have upped their efforts to reduce food waste, carbon emissions, and energy usage. Apart from undoubtedly benefiting the environment, an eco-friendly approach can also boost a restaurant’s bottom line. In fact, according to a study conducted by Purdue University, as many as 66% of restaurant patrons are willing to spend more money if the establishment makes use of eco-friendly practices. If your restaurant is not yet as environmentally-friendly as you would like it to be, you can make use of the following guidelines to give it a very beneficial eco-friendly boost.

Reduce your food wastage

At present, restaurants in the USA are believed to generate as much as 33 billion pounds of food waste in a single year. In addition to this, between 4% and 10% of food purchased by the restaurant is wasted before it even reaches the customer. Some of the most common practices that lead to food wastage include over-preparation, a failure to use food scraps and trimmings, and improper food storage. There are a number of simple yet effective ways in which a restaurant can reduce food wastage and become increasingly eco-friendly. Only buy the stock you require, and practice stock rotation to ensure older stock gets used first. Keep a very close eye on your portion sizes, and compost items such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grinds, and tea bags instead of sending them to the landfill.

Invest in energy-efficient equipment

There is no denying that the U.S restaurant industry is very energy-intensive. According to a recent report, the industry uses approximately 206 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per annum, costing just over $20 billion. This high energy consumption is not only costly but bad for the environment as well. In order to render a restaurant more eco-friendly, low-consumption appliances can be installed. Additionally, investing in solar panels will not only result in a decreased energy bill but a reduced impact on the environment as well.

Installing solar panels will reduce the restaurant’s reliance on fossil fuels, reduce energy costs, and limit greenhouse gas emissions. The lead-generation and marketing strategies employed by solar companies will highlight all these benefits and more, to the great benefit of both company and customer. The more the benefits of using alternative power sources are highlighted, the more likely a restaurateur is to spend money on a solar power system.

Get your staff on board

If you want to make your restaurant more eco-friendly, it is essential to get all your staff on board. By training and educating your entire staff contingency on the importance of eco-friendly practices within the restaurant industry, they can help promote your vision. Highlight the importance of recycling, reducing food waste, and using eco-friendly products and techniques, and ask the entire team for input on how you can make the restaurant more eco-friendly. By involving your staff in your eco-friendly efforts, you can also improve morale by making them feel valued and part of the team.

Taking the necessary steps to make your restaurant more eco-friendly can be extremely beneficial. Apart from being kinder to the environment, you may also attract a whole new range of eco-conscious customers.

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