10 Resources to Help Improve your Restaurants Waste and Recycling Program
The restaurant industry moves fast and managing waste often falls behind. Yet building a smart recycling program doesn’t only benefit the environment — it also drives operational efficiency and enhances your reputation. In this post, we’ve curated 10 essential free resources that will help you build or level-up your restaurant’s waste and recycling strategy.
From standardising recycling practices, to expanding collection stations, to cutting contamination, these resources cover the full spectrum. While many restaurants know the basics, real impact comes from understanding the details and acting intentionally.
Our team at Busch Systems has gathered these guides to support you in developing a tailored, efficient waste-management program for your restaurant. Bookmark this page and return to it anytime you’re ready to refresh your sustainability efforts. If you have additional resources you’ve found useful, feel free to drop a comment below and share!
1. The Application of Waste Minimization to Business Management to Improve Environmental Performance in the Food and Drink Industry
This study focuses on the importance of reducing waste in the food and drink industry. Any food business considering zero waste or waste reduction will find this study fascinating as it addresses the issues with food and packaging waste in the industry.
2. Cut Waste, Grow Profit
This paper reports many statistics and findings from other studies to make recommendations on how to reduce waste and save money. If you’re looking into starting or expanding your organics collection within your restaurant, this is a must-read!
3. Waste Reduction & Recycling Tips for Restaurants
This quick read includes a list of tips that will help you divert waste within your restaurant. It explains how diverting waste can help your bottom line and provides extra tips on how to properly recycle.
4. Restaurant Recycling
This blog focuses on types of materials that can be commonly recycled at your restaurant and tips to prevent food waste and materials that can’t be recycled. It provides some easy and creative solutions that are much more profitable and environmentally friendly than sending waste to the landfill.
5. 16 Tips for Restaurant Food Waste Reduction
Many restaurant owners can confirm that disposing of waste and organics can be quite expensive. This article focuses on how to reduce those costs by providing some great tips on how to dramatically reduce waste within your restaurant.
6. How to Run an Environmentally Friendly Restaurant (11 Ways to Go Green)
This blog is a quick and easy read that goes beyond waste reduction to provide some amazing suggestions on how to make your restaurant more environmentally friendly. These quick tips will help you generate ideas on how to apply these principles to your business and greatly reduce your restaurant’s environmental impact.
7. How to Go Green at your Restaurant
Building off of the previous blog listed above, this article expands on the easy changes your business can make in order to continue its commitment to sustainability.
8. Recycling in Restaurants
If you’re looking for a quick and easy fact sheet on recycling in restaurants, check out this infographic featuring some insightful stats that will motivate you to start recycling in your restaurant.
9. How to Reduce Food Waste in the Restaurant and Catering Business
This article not only outlines 10 different ways to reduce food waste in your business, but also provides tips on how to properly segregate waste including difficult items such as fryer oil. These tips will have you reducing waste in no time!
10. Recycling in the Food Service Industry [Webinar Recording]
If you’re losing your motivation to read about recycling in the food service industry, try watching our free webinar recording! This video includes a full presentation on how to reduce waste, cut costs, and recycle better within your restaurant. This resource is full of tips to help you improve your restaurant’s sustainability and achieve program success.
And there you have it! Plenty of resources to get your journey to sustainable waste management started. We’ll continue to update this page as we see more great information come down the pipe. And again, if you think we’ve missed some more resources, feel free to comment below.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
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Waste is an opportunity: Managing restaurant waste isn’t just good for the environment — it also saves money, improves efficiency, and strengthens your brand.
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Start with a waste audit: Identify where most of your waste comes from (like food scraps, packaging, or leftovers) so you can focus your efforts effectively.
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Engage staff and customers: Make waste reduction part of your culture with clear signage, well-labeled bins, and regular staff training. Encourage guests to participate too.
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Invest in the right tools: Use clearly marked recycling and compost bins, efficient waste stations, and other equipment that supports proper sorting and diversion.
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Rethink your menu and service: Adjust portions, repurpose ingredients, and design dishes that minimize waste without compromising quality.
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Track and improve: Measure your results, review what’s working, and make ongoing improvements to keep reducing waste and costs over time.
