10 anti-waste tips in collective catering
In France, 10 million tonnes of food are thrown away each year, including 2.8 tonnes in collective catering. However, there are many anti-waste tips to overcome this.
This waste means so many foodstuffs that can be reused or revalorized but also and above all avoided. And avoiding this waste also means saving money, reducing the carbon footprint of your restaurant and complying with new laws (EGAlim, AGEC and Garot). We have therefore listed our 10 best tips for reducing food waste in the long term.
These recommendations aim not only to minimize waste, but also to encourage concrete changes in the habits of guests and catering staff.
Tip #1: Make a diagnosis of your food waste
The food diagnosis offers the possibility of examining the needs and various dietary preferences of your guests to propose adapted and qualitative menus. It also helps identify foodstuffs that are often wasted, providing avenues on which to focus your efforts. Whatever the method adopted to establish this diagnosis, it is imperative to carry out an inventory beforehand to identify the actions already in place and the level of staff awareness. This diagnosis can be carried out using manual weighing, but also using digital solutions.
These tools allow a better understanding of waste thanks to precise data on the appreciation of guests. This data can then be used to take concrete measures adapted to the case of each restaurant.
To get started with this diagnosis, our white paper provides the basics of diagnosing food waste in restaurants.
We invite you to discover it right here ⬇️
Tip #2: Offer appropriate portions
Portions vary depending on the age, physical activity, size, but also the eating habits of your guests. For example, for an adult/teenager, we recommend a portion of meat between 80 and 100 grams per day, whereas for a child in elementary school the portion will be more like 60 grams. The gap is even greater with a nursery school student who will instead need a 40g portion of meat per day.
These recommendations are those of the GEM-RCN (Collective catering and nutrition market study group) whose mission is to improve the nutritional quality of meals served in communities. The GEM-RCN recommendations also recommend nutritional objectives depending on the guests, recommendations for the different types of collective catering establishments (school, prison, elderly, etc.) but also advice for improving menus.
Tip #3: Promote seasonal and local products
Promoting better products also means increasing guest satisfaction and reducing food waste.
Since January 1, 2022, the Egalim law requires that collective catering offers at least 50% sustainable products, including 20% organic. Favoring local and seasonal products meets this law and offers better quality products to guests while reducing the environmental footprint thanks to short circuits. Buying local also allows you to use products rejected by large retail chains, providing a wider variety and supporting local farmers.
Tip #4: Train teams on food waste issues
Training kitchen teams, but also external teams, such as supervisors, caregivers or companions, is essential in the process of reducing food waste. They are in fact the first players in the chain and therefore have an immediate effect on the impact of food waste. Both in their abilities to raise awareness and influence diners, but also intervene in the management of service and food waste.
For this, many organizations offering training exist. In particular, they allow people to have a broad point of view on the problem of food waste and to become familiar with all its issues.
It is also possible to raise awareness through visual aids displayed in kitchens.
Tip #5: Raise awareness among guests
Diners can also have an important role in reducing food waste. Involving guests and making them actors allows them to better understand where their waste comes from and therefore to have the keys to combat it.
This can result in particular by implementing fun activities such as:
→ Composting workshops with guests
→ The creation of a vegetable garden within your establishment
→ Waste weighing workshops
Internally, communication supports can be put in place to raise awareness among guests during their journey during the service.
And for this, Kikleo has everything planned : you will be able to find our communication materials intended to raise awareness among different types of guests about the problem of food waste.
Among other things, satisfaction questionnaires can also be an effective solution to identify the desires and recommendations of your guests, and therefore reduce food waste.
Tip #6: Introduce guests to new flavors
Introducing new flavors to guests can be a challenge, however, it is an essential step , particularly to develop taste and curiosity, but also because it allows the diversification of your menus, thus avoiding monotony.
Tip #7: Install a gachimeter
The gachimeter represents a concrete tool for assessing waste, particularly with regard to bread. This practical approach helps raise diners’ awareness of the problem of food waste. The bread collected in this gachimeter can also be revalorized or recycled thanks to associations such as Pain de l'Espoir or the various French branches of Pain Against Hunger which revalorize bread wasted into animal food or even breadcrumbs.
Tip #8: Use leftovers
When we cook, we tend to throw everything away, without being aware of the possibilities of reusing certain foods. This is the case for vegetable peels or bones which can, for example, make excellent broths. Reusing these foods helps reduce waste, but also saves money.
Despite this, not all leftovers are able to be reused. Indeed, the distinction between “leftovers” and “surplus” defines the possibilities for using food wasted or not served during different services.
Tip #9: Make food donations
Today, many associations have given themselves the task of redistributing unsold or consumed meals from collective catering. For example, there are food collection associations such as Hophopfood , which fight against precariousness by recycling surpluses from collective catering. There are also associations like Miam'up which links players in collective catering with associations with the aim of redistributing unsold items.
Do not hesitate to contact food banks such as Les Restaurants du Coeur or La Croix Rouge. They will be grateful to receive these meals and will be able to redistribute them to those in need.
Bonus tip #10: Create compost in your restaurant
What to do if there is still bio waste?
If implementing the tips mentioned above has not reduced the bio-waste generated by your restaurant to zero, compost can represent a more responsible alternative than the traditional trash can.
Since January 1, 2024, the Agec law has made it compulsory to install compost for those involved in collective catering. Compost makes it possible to revalorize food by creating a natural fertilizer. This could in particular be used either by farmers or directly by establishments which can develop parallel activities.
Sources: ADEME ; HygienePacket ; Ania.net ; TerreAzur , Economie.gouv .
FOR A BETTER FUTURE
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