10 anti-waste tips in collective catering
In France, 10 million tons of food are thrown away each year, including 2.8 tons in institutional catering. Yet, there are many ways to reduce food waste and address this issue.
This waste represents food that could be reused or repurposed, but also, and most importantly, avoided altogether. Avoiding this waste also means saving money, reducing your restaurant's carbon footprint, and complying with new regulations (EGAlim, AGEC, and Garot). We've therefore compiled 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 diners and catering staff.
Tip #1: Assess your food waste
A nutritional assessment allows you to examine the needs and diverse dietary preferences of your guests in order to offer tailored, high-quality menus. It also helps identify frequently wasted food, providing avenues for focusing your efforts. Regardless of the method used to conduct this assessment, it is essential to first assess the current situation to identify existing initiatives and staff awareness levels. This assessment can be carried out using manual weighing methods or digital solutions.
These tools allow for a better understanding of food waste thanks to precise data on diner feedback. This data can then be used to take concrete measures tailored to each restaurant's specific situation.
To get this diagnosis off to a good start, our white paper provides the basics of food waste diagnosis in catering.
We invite you to discover it right here ⬇️
Tip #2: Offer appropriate portion sizes
Portion sizes vary depending on age, physical activity, height, and also the eating habits of your guests. For example, for an adult/teenager, a portion of meat between 80 and 100 grams per day is recommended, while for a primary school child the portion will be closer to 60 grams. The difference is even greater with a preschooler who will need a portion of meat of around 40 grams per day.
These recommendations come from the GEM-RCN (Study Group on Institutional Catering and Nutrition Markets), whose mission is to improve the nutritional quality of meals served in institutional settings. The GEM-RCN recommendations also advocate nutritional objectives based on the diners, recommendations for different types of institutional catering establishments (schools, prisons, senior citizens' facilities, etc.), and advice for improving menus.
Tip #3: Favor seasonal and local products
Promoting better products also increases customer satisfaction and reduces food waste.
Since January 1, 2022, the Egalim law requires that institutional catering services offer at least 50% sustainable products, including 20% organic. Prioritizing local and seasonal products complies with this law and provides diners with higher-quality food while reducing the environmental footprint through short supply chains. Buying local also allows for the use of products rejected by large retail chains, thus offering a wider variety and supporting local farmers.
Tip #4: Train teams on the issues surrounding food waste
Training kitchen staff, as well as external teams such as supervisors, caregivers, and support staff, is essential in the process of reducing food waste. They are, in fact, the first actors in the chain and therefore have an immediate impact on the effects of food waste. This is due both to their ability to raise awareness and influence diners, and to their involvement in managing service and food waste.
To this end, numerous organizations offer training programs. These programs allow individuals to gain a broad perspective on the problem of food waste and to become familiar with all its implications.
It is also possible to raise awareness through visual aids displayed in kitchens.
Tip #5: Raise awareness among guests
Guests can also play an important role in reducing food waste. Involving and empowering guests helps them better understand the sources of their waste and therefore provides them with the tools to combat it.
This can be achieved, in particular, through the implementation of fun activities such as:
→ Composting workshops with guests
→ Creating a vegetable garden within your establishment
→ Waste weighing workshops
Internally, communication tools can be put in place to raise awareness among guests during their journey through the service.
And for that, Kikleo has thought of everything : you will be able to find our communication materials designed 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, yet it is an essential step , particularly to develop taste and curiosity, but also because it allows for the diversification of your menus, thus avoiding monotony.
Tip #7: Install a waste meter
The food waste meter is a practical tool for assessing food waste, particularly with regard to bread. This hands-on approach helps raise awareness among diners about the issue of food waste. The bread collected in this waste meter can also be repurposed or recycled through organizations like Pain de l'espoir (Bread of Hope ) or the various French branches of Pain contre la faim ( ), which transform wasted bread into animal feed or breadcrumbs.
Tip #8: Use up leftovers
When cooking, we tend to throw everything away without realizing the possibilities for reusing certain foods. This is the case with vegetable peels or bones, which can, for example, make excellent broths. Reusing these foods reduces waste and also saves money.
Despite this, not all leftovers can be reused. Indeed, the distinction between "leftovers" and "surpluses" defines the possibilities for using food that is wasted or not served during different meal services.
Tip #9: Donate food
Today, many organizations have dedicated themselves to redistributing unsold or uneaten food from institutional catering. For example, there are food collection organizations like Hophopfood , which combats food insecurity by repurposing surplus food from institutional catering. There are also organizations like Miam'up , which connects institutional catering providers with charities to redistribute unsold food.
Don't hesitate to contact food banks such as Les Restaurants du Coeur or the Red Cross. They will be grateful to receive these meals and will be able to redistribute them to those in need.
Bonus tip #10: Create a compost bin in your restaurant
What should be done if there is still bio-waste left?
If implementing the tips mentioned above has not reduced the bio-waste generated by your restaurant to zero, composting can represent a more responsible alternative to the traditional garbage can.
Since January 1, 2024, the Agec law has mandated the installation of composting facilities for those involved in institutional catering. Composting allows for the repurposing of food waste by creating a natural fertilizer. This fertilizer can then be used either by farmers or directly by the establishments themselves, enabling them to develop related activities.
Sources: ADEME ; PaquetHygiene ; Ania.net ; TerreAzur , Economie.gouv .
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