Top 5 ways restaurants can reduce waste and improve food safety

Restaurant sustainability has been a major topic for a while. With the vast amount of information readily available to us online, we are more aware than ever of the impact food businesses have on the ecosystem. There is truly no time like the present to start making smart changes that can contribute to shaping a healthier industry.

Restaurants don’t have to change how they operate altogether to run a more sustainable business. In fact, there are a couple of changes they can implement today that will not require as big of an investment as they might think.

Here are five easy-to-implement restaurant sustainability tactics any restaurant can apply in its business today:

1. Start sourcing “ugly” produce that is closer to its expiry date
Ugly produce are fruits and vegetables that have cosmetic flaws. They may be oddly shaped or a little too big or small. Because of how they look, these fruits and veggies are often disregarded by supermarkets that opt for Tier A produce and as a result of that, this produce goes to waste.

Various platforms and businesses have emerged to solve the ugly problem – by helping restaurants and other stakeholders easily access this ugly produce. One such platform is HeroGo, a platform that connects farmers with consumers to supply produce that is closer to its expiry date at accessible prices.

2. Invest in predictive technology that ultimately reduces food waste
Reducing food waste is ultimately about having the right inventory systems in place to predict what your demands are going to look like throughout the week. You can look into investing in such predictive tech or tie up with businesses like Right Farm that factor in your demands as part of their service. Such tech optimises the sourcing and procurement of fresh produce for hotels, restaurants, cloud kitchens and retail sector businesses, so you only buy what you’ll likely consume and hence minimise food waste.

Read: Here’s how Right Farm is tackling GCC region’s food security challenges

3. Implement energy efficient appliances
Another way any restaurant or hotel can do its part is by implementing energy efficient appliances. One such appliance is the Quooker tap, which is an all-in-one tap that allows you to get 100°C boiling, cold, chilled still and chilled sparkling water directly from tap, all filtered. The firm generates filtered water that is ready to drink – restaurants can minimise plastic usage and waste by reducing the use of bottled water where possible. Another key benefit of using a Quooker is it generates boiling water instantaneously – so if you’re running a small kitchen, you could even use that it to generate boiling water.

4. Help consumers eat healthy and find meals that fit their diets
If you’re operating a healthy restaurant, you may to want to partner with sustainable and filtration focused delivery partners to help your online customers better find what fits their diets through your menu.

MyEatPal, a newly launched, delivery application that connects individuals to restaurant offers personalised dishes and recipes based on their preferences.

On this platform, you input all your desired filters on the app and then sit back as the app matches you with relevant and personalised dishes from that restaurant. Such platforms help encourage people to abide by the nutrition that works for them and follow through as much as possible – as it facilitates the process of abiding by their diet or eating the foods that specifically work for them.

5. Familiarise yourself with agriculture technology and partner up with suppliers who are harnessing its benefits to save the environment
Agriculture technology is a booming and ever-growing field with limitless benefits to shaping a less wasteful ecosystem. Businesses such as AeroFarms are today harnessing the power of indoor vertical farming by using the latest tech to grow fresh produce in a safe and sustainable way.

And just like that, you’ve done your part in shaping a more consumer safe and less wasteful food ecosystem.

Although there is no stopping the restaurant industry from contributing emissions to the climate crisis, there is a lot that can be done to alleviate some of the effects of running the business.

Restaurants can still make a positive difference by implementing small changes that work together to drive the industry.

Lara Geadah is the marketing strategist, creative director and founder of Cameo Comms