The Consultant - Q1 2009 - (Page 65) Food Waste Management – Emerging Trends ver the last 12 months, few topics have emerged from relative obscurity with such velocity and passion as food waste management. Driven by regulatory changes, customer expectations and a dogged pursuit of greater efficiency, every foodservice operation is – or soon will be – confronted with mastering the ins and outs of source reduction, food donation programs, composting, and green disposables. This is a highly fluid time in the foodservice world with emerging practices often requiring significant refinement and initial assumptions being challenged by hard science and new operating metrics. For consultants, these topics require a steep learning curve but one which can simply not be deferred given the importance of the topic. According to data collected by LeanPath and our clients, 4-10% of the food purchased in non-commercial foodservice operations ultimately becomes kitchen waste before ever reaching a customer. This is a staggering figure because this is not “post-consumer food waste” or plate waste that a guest has chosen not to eat, but rather represents resources fully within the control and custody of the foodservice operator. This “pre-consumer food waste” or kitchen waste, represents one of the most compelling economic opportunities for operators looking to reduce food costs. By wasting less food to begin with, they have the opportunity to significantly reduce purchasing, inventories, utilities and labor costs associated with overproduction. Studies suggest total food waste (pre- and post-consumer) equals 25-30% of total food purchases. This collective organic waste volume is typically heavier than other municipal solid waste and disposal is costly. By reducing the total waste volume through source reduction of pre-consumer food waste and programs to divert post-consumer waste to compost, operators in some locales have a significant opportunity to impact disposal costs. There are also significant environmental advantages to reducing pre- and post-consumer food waste. The environmental footprint of food includes fuel for tractors, fertilizers, O pesticides, carbon output from transportation, refrigeration, preparation, and hot holding. By throwing away a simple “grab & go” sandwich, we sacrifice the entire upstream environmental footprint required to bring that item to our operation. There are also profound downstream consequences from food waste as these organic materials fi nd their way to landfills, decompose anaerobically, and produce methane which is a potent greenhouse gas. While some landfills capture biogas output, many don’t and studies suggest approximately one third of the methane emissions in the United States come from landfills. So what can operators do to manage food waste more effectively? The first place to start is with a framework known as the “Waste Management Hierarchy” which is familiar to most school children. The hierarchy reminds us that operators should start with source reduction of waste, look at reuse opportunities second, examine composting (the equivalent of food waste “recycling”) third, and seek more efficient and environmentally appropriate methods of disposal as the last option. At present, there are two major blind spots in the collective approach to food waste management. Many operators are focused on postconsumer waste reduction (through programs such as “trayless dining” in the college and university market) and composting. These areas offer tangibility and measurability and are extremely worthy, but the more impactful areas of source-reduction and pre-consumer waste often earn scant attention. Operators (and their consultants) would be wise to review the hierarchy and allocate greater attention and resources to these two areas. They offer the greatest opportunities for financial savings in the middle of the P&L and are highly actionable, in some cases more so than composting or post-consumer reduction. Focusing on the bottom of the waste management hierarchy first is like coming into a flooded kitchen and looking for a mop. We all know we need to stop the source of the leak first before transition to clean-up mode. The same approach of Often what sounds good isn’t as good in practice, when all fi nancial and environmental factors have been considered. As new technologies and practices launch, new best practices are emerging. First Quarter 2009 65
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