Compost Recycling in Restaurants

Much of a restaurant's trash consists of food scraps that can be composted.

According to the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, more than three-quarters of the average restaurant's trash is compostable. Instead of throwing away vegetable and fruit trimmings, many restaurants are saving this organic waste to be turned into nutrient-rich compost. This compost is recycled back into the earth as a soil amendment and fertilizer for agricultural and landscape purposes such as farms, golf courses and community food gardens. It's no wonder many restaurants and communities are getting interested in compost recycling.

Benefits

When multiple restaurants begin recycling food waste, the benefits to the local community and the environment can be significant. Large-scale food composting reduces the amount of trash sent to landfills. As a result, less trash is incinerated and the production of methane and other greenhouse gasses is decreased. Non-recycling restaurants commonly dispose of food scraps through the garbage disposer. However, restaurants that recycle food waste save water and energy and help relieve overburdened sewer systems because less waste is sent down the drain. In addition, the resulting compost generates revenue if it is sold as a soil amendment.

How It Works

Although some restaurants compost their food scraps on site, most restaurants do not have the space or time to compost organic waste themselves. Unless a compost recycling program is established through a city, the restaurant management typically contracts with a specialized trash hauler to pick up the organic waste and deliver it to a composting site. Restaurant workers separate organic waste such as food scraps and compostable paper from other non-compostable trash and place the materials in the appropriate waste receptacles. A food waste receptacle such as a dumpster or large drum with a tight fitting lid is usually placed outside the restaurant. Plastic buckets with lids are often used to carry food waste from the kitchen to the outside bin. Food waste is typically picked up more frequently than regular trash, particularly in warmer weather, to prevent problems with odor and rodents.

Cost Concerns

Restaurant managers are often concerned about the cost efficiency of compost recycling programs. Because many trash haulers charge by weight or volume, the cost to remove non-compostable trash may be reduced, thereby offsetting the composting costs. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, many restaurant managers find that recycling food waste does not significantly increase costs and may actually lower disposal costs.

Compost Recycling in Communities

An individual restaurant can start a composting program on its own, but the most successful compost recycling programs require community-wide involvement. Sometimes restaurants ban together to share composting services. Recycling efforts often include dining facilities at institutions such as public schools, universities and prisons. For example, the city of Northampton, Massachusetts recycles food waste from restaurants and public schools and delivers it to the Smith Vocational Agricultural Farm School for composting. The school then sells the compost to local farms and homeowners. Cities may offer incentives to encourage restaurants and other businesses to recycle. In cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco, compost recycling is not just encouraged -- it's mandatory.

References

• U. S. Environmental Protection Agency: A Guide to Commercial Food Composting
• Center for Ecological Technology, Resource Library: Composting in Restaurants and Schools -- A Municipal Toolkit
• City of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation: Restaurant Food Waste Recycling
• Eureka Recycling: Compost -- Make Dirt, Not Waste

Resources

• Green Restaurant Association: Find Certified Green Restaurants