Food waste is responsible for over 8% of UK agricultural greenhouse gas emission and is a major cost to business. Regular food bin audits are an affordable option that can reveal the underlying operational issues causing excessive waste. The Simpler Recycling legislation requires businesses of more than ten employees to separate food, dry recyclables and mixed waste. Business Waste experts suggest a short daily audit can reduce contamination and prevent rejected loads and higher disposal fees.  

Simpler Recycling Legislation

Simpler Recycling legislation requires businesses to meet certain separation standards to avoid rejected loads and higher disposal fees. These additional bin collection charges can rapidly escalate, especially for businesses in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Uncollected rubbish can accumulate, disrupting operations and dissuading customers. Food waste management experts at Business Waste suggest companies adopt short daily food bin audits. They share key tips to address underlying issues before disposal fees start affecting budgets.  

Mark Hall, Business Waste expert, said: ‘Your food bin tells the truth about how your business is really running, often before problems start to show up on financial reports. When waste streams are contaminated, or full meals are being thrown away untouched, it’s often a sign that there are issues behind the scenes.’

Underlying Operational Issues

Business Waste food management experts have outlined four common underlying issues causing contamination and excess waste:

Staffing issues: inadequate staff training can lead to a lack of knowledge or care for separating waste streams. This can be a particularly relevant issue for businesses with high turnover or seasonal staff.

Poor stock control: an increase in unopened, expired ingredients indicates an issue with ordering volumes and stock rotation systems. This causes unnecessary increases in food waste volume.

Prep errors: multiple failed batches of dough or sauce in the bin suggests miscommunication or inadequate training is causing mistakes in kitchen preparation.

Portion misalignment: if plates are repeatedly returned with excess scrapings it can point to misjudged portion sizes. This can inflate waste, buying costs and complicate menu planning.

Key Warning Signs

Regular waste bin audits reveal key warning signs that indicate operational issues:

Staffing issue signs: regular contamination of waste streams; greasy recyclables; heavier than usual bins and whole bags of mixed waste and mixed plastics

Poor stock control signs: whole packs of meat and produce in the bins; large quantities of the same item being thrown; ingredients repeatedly expiring before use and surplus stock build ups

Prep error signs: multiple failed batches of sauces, pastries and dough; regularly undercooked or burnt items; larger than expected offcuts and large quantities of identical items in the bins

Portion misalignment signs: throwing out large quantities of the same dish; untouched food on plates; overfilling bins on busy days and certain dishes generating more waste than others

Addressing Food Waste Issues

A yearly waste audit is not sufficient. Quick daily checks need to occur in order to expose the patterns that indicate issues in staff training, preparation, purchasing and portion sizes. Business Waste outlines several key steps to address miscommunication, inflated waste volumes and cross contamination. Businesses need to provide sufficient training for all staff. Purchasing decisions require up to date menus and ordering patterns. Kitchens should clearly label food containers, adjust batch sizes and hire licensed food waste carriers.

Mark Hall gives his advice: ‘A simple food waste check takes 15 minutes a day, and could save businesses thousands a year. Make sure all your staff (both permanent and temporary) are fully aware of the correct waste disposal systems, track what ends up in the bin and use those patterns to guide ordering, portion sizes and training. A few small operational tweaks could save your business between 20-30%, reduce disposal costs and improve your environmental footprint at the same time.’

Food Bin Audits To Save Costs

Business Waste food management experts outline how daily food bin audits are a simple tool to help businesses adhere to Simpler Recycling legislation. Regular checks indicate patterns that suggest operational inefficiencies. Addressing underlying issues in staff training, purchasing and food preparation can resolve inflated waste volumes, reduce environmental harm and prevent additional disposal costs.