SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in SmartBrief on Restaurants — tracks feedback from restaurant owners and managers about current trends and issues.
Last week’s poll question: Does your restaurant recycle?
- My restaurant voluntarily recycles everything possible — 61.29%
- We are obligated by law to recycle some products, such as bottles and cans — 8.06%
- No, we don’t recycle anything — 18.55%
- My restaurant doesn’t recycle, but it’s something we are considering — 12.1%
It’s not difficult — or expensive — for restaurants to invest in some sustainability initiatives. It’s a trend that operators and managers can explore incrementally. While some restaurants have replaced their appliances with energy-efficient versions and others have substituted biodegradable products for plastic, one of the simplest things a restaurant can do is start recycling.
But recycling isn’t limited to tossing your restaurant’s bottles into the correct bin. Here’s a roundup of examples of how some restaurants are exploring recycling:
- Starbucks is recycling old coffee cups and turning them into napkins.
- Restaurants and wineries in California are recycling corks.
- The SkyCity restaurant in Seattle’s space needle recycles its frying oil for use as fuel.
- Cities in Orange County, Calif., plan to participate in a pilot program to recycle restaurant food waste.
Have you ever worked with another restaurant on a recycling initiative?
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