Reduce Reuse and Recycle

Food and beverage waste is becoming an increasingly salient issue as food packaging is filling up landfills. There is also the issue of edible materials being wasted when so many in this country are hungry. Therefore, much of the concern over food and beverage waste in the modern restaurant industry is grounded in concepts of sustainability.

It seems to be becoming increasingly clear that humanity has to adopt more sustainable lifestyles in the presence of an exponentially growing population and the ecological degradation that this population is responsible for through their activities and the food and beverage issue is a large contributor to waste. "Most foodservice operation throw out a massive amount of garbage, most of which could be diverted. 75% of material in today's landfill is recyclable or compostable, while 50-70% of the weight of a foodservice operation's garbage consists of compostable food items.

Food packaging makes up most of the remaining weight of the garbage's bins, but account for around 70% of the volume of foodservice trash. A foodservice operation without recycling, composting or any waste reduction program can reduce their disposal cost by at least half by implementing simple, structured practices. Rethink. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle (Sustainable Foodservice)." Not only does adopting sustainable practices relative to waste management make sense from an ethical perspective, but it can also add value to the products that the business sells from the perspective of the customer.

The restaurant industry for example has become increasingly competitive and requires differentiation in many markets to build a loyal customer base. A restaurant can actually promote its devotion to sustainability as a way to differentiate itself and build consumer value. One interesting development can be illustrated by the NRA's top 10 trends is that 5 out of 10 deal with local sourcing and sustainability; "green" values are becoming a permanent fixture in our culture, and successful restaurants are figuring out ways to make their operations source locally and sustainably (McGuire, 2012).

By managing waste responsibly, a business can incorporate green practices that have already been identified to have significant market value. The food and beverage business should first conduct an assessment to create a plan for effectively and efficiently deal with waste management. Anything that can be recycled should and the business should not only create a system for achieving this, but it should also fully train the employees to follow the system for recycling that is developed.

There are emerging opportunities to recycle items such as left over oil into creative uses such as being converted to bio-diesel. Many cars can now be fueled directly by left over cooking oil as well. Other opportunities for sustainable waste practices include the reduction in the total amount of waste that a business generates. Not only is reducing the quantity of waste desirable from a sustainability perspective, but it is also a cost saving measure that can improve.