Green Your Kitchen Today: Top Eco-Friendly Tips for Restaurant Owners

We’re seeing a growing trend for restaurants and cafes going ‘greener’ – reducing their food waste, using greener cleaning products and choosing more environmentally friendly packaging. Not only that, but they have been able to do within their current budgets. Here are some eco-friendly tips that everyone, not just restaurants and cafes, can implement today which are economically viable.

Restaurants can reduce waste by composting, donating food, and educating staff. Strategies could include:

• Inventory management: Track inventory levels and rotate stock so that older ingredients are used first with the use of food labels
• Waste auditing: Identify where waste comes from and how it can be reduced
• Composting: Turn food waste into compost, which enriches soil and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Compostable food waste bags come in handy here.
• Donating food: Partner with local charities or food banks to donate surplus food, such as Exeter Food Action, Fareshare Southwest. Alternatively, if you have meals going to waste before closing time, you can add them to the ToGoodToGo app to sell for a lower price.
• Recycling: Methods such as the ‘closed loop’ service we employ.  We collect our empty chemical containers from our customers to refill from our partners at Ideal Manufacturing, or recycle. Read more about this service here.

• Avoid single-use plastics – These compostable scourers are a great alternative to the usual plastic ones.
• Use metal or paper straws and wooden cutlery
• Avoid products with excessive packaging
• Use reusable items
• Give a discount to customers who bring in their own keep cup or bottle, or use compostable takeaway cups with moulded lids.
• Use environmentally friendly takeaway containers
• Use reusable plates, bowls, and utensils
• Replace  100% paper or plant-based takeaway packaging and plates or food cartons.

• Look for products that are biodegradable, non-toxic, and made from renewable materials. Find out how we are making our products more environmentally friendly.
• Avoid products that contain harmful chemicals like ammonia and chlorine
• Choose products that are as powerful as standard cleaners but without the toxic chemicals
• Use reusable cleaning tools such as microfibre cloths and pads, which although contain plastic, use far less chemicals to make and can be washed numerous times.
• Buy eco-friendly hand soap in bulk to refill dispensers
• Promote sustainable behavior
• Promote responsible Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) practices to more environmentally-conscious clients. The Environmental aspect covers (but is not limited to) renewable fuels, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, climate risk, water management and recycling processes.

If you have any questions about any of these eco-friendly tips, products or ranges mentioned, then please contact us, we’re always happy to help.

We don’t just provide eco-friendly tips, we also give lots of information about :

5 GMB Best Sellers

Our Favourite UK Eco-Friendly Suppliers

1 Way To Boost Your Environmental Credibility: Closed Loop Plastics