Sustainable Restaurant: 9 Practices

In the face of the climate crisis and its impacts, adopting sustainable practices across every sector is increasingly relevant and urgent.

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and preserving the environment is a global challenge, and everyone has to do their part. And of course that goes for restaurants too.

So how about starting right now? Keep reading this article and discover some actions you can take to have a sustainable restaurant.

What is a sustainable restaurant?

A sustainable restaurant is one that seeks to operate consciously and responsibly toward the environment and society. But what does that mean?

If you're a chef, manager or staff member at a restaurant, you certainly know the operation involves many processes. From buying supplies to packaging the order, everything generates some negative impact:

• greenhouse gas emissions
• garbage production
• energy and water consumption
• food waste

If you dig deep and run the numbers, you'll see your operation is far more damaging than you might imagine. That's why it's essential to implement sustainable practices in restaurants

The goal is to reduce the negative impact as much as possible and, beyond that, to promote actions that help preserve natural resources and support social well-being.

To do that, it's worth looking at the suppliers you choose, what the working conditions of your team are, which ingredients and dishes you include on the menu, how much energy and water you consume, how you handle waste and garbage, how much you throw away.

The list really is long, but you can definitely start making some changes right now that will make your restaurant more sustainable.

Leia também: Is a vegan restaurant a good business? Understanding the trend

9 sustainable practices in restaurants

If you're wondering how a restaurant can be sustainable, know that there are many measures you can adopt — some of them very simple, others more complex.

Either way, every effort counts and helps us secure a better future. Check out some sustainable ideas for restaurants below!

1. Prioritize organic food

Brazil is one of the countries that most uses pesticides harmful to health and the environment. Despite that, there are many regional producers, from family farming, who grow quality food free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

So go after these suppliers! Besides offering healthier food to your customers, you'll be encouraging organic farming and helping to reduce the impacts of pesticides.

Another tip along these lines is to grow your own organic produce. Many sustainable restaurants have a garden from where they get part of their supplies. This way, they save on purchases and reduce their carbon footprint. 

2. Work with local suppliers

And speaking of carbon footprint, choosing to work with local suppliers is another recommended action if you want a sustainable restaurant.

That's because, when the supplier is closer to your establishment, the impact generated by transport and logistics to deliver the products drops significantly.

Another important point is that, since the supplier is closer, you can visit them, see the production and find out whether they also follow good sustainability practices.

And finally, you'll also be boosting the local economy.

3. Manage your inventory well

Putting an end to all waste should be your mission if you really want to be sustainable. When you throw supplies in the garbage because they expired, for example, you're generating a double negative impact.

Ideally, everything you buy gets used. That's why good inventory management is essential.

Leia também: How to handle inventory control at your restaurant

4. Reduce write-offs and waste

To cut waste even further, you can optimize your operation to eliminate order errors.

Choose a good POS to make the waiter's job easier. That way he won't make mistakes when taking orders. Use a KDS system to automate order organization and put an end to the confusion in the kitchen.

Learn more: Production Screen or Order Printer? Find out which is better

With these technologies, you practically eliminate order returns and, as a result, reduce food waste.

5. Offer filtered water in a pitcher

Reducing the amount of plastic used in your restaurant should undoubtedly be one of your concerns if you want to be sustainable. This material can take up to 500 years to decompose, and recycling it is complex.

A simple way to cut down on plastic is to start serving filtered water in pitchers or glasses (not plastic ones, of course). That means a lot fewer little bottles in the trash.

6. Recycle

Disposing of waste properly is another easy action any restaurant can implement. Just have one bin for each type of material, marked with a label or using the color system, and train your team to sort it correctly.

This way you help your city's recycling collection system send each material to the right place and recycle it.

7. Compost

Restaurants generate a lot of organic waste, so what could be more logical than having a compost bin!

Composting turns food scraps into a nutrient-rich organic compost that can be used to fertilize soil naturally. If you have a vegetable garden, you can use this fertilizer there. If not, it can be donated or even sold.

That way, you make the most of everything!

8. Save electricity

Reducing electricity consumption also helps lower greenhouse gas emissions. Some ways to do this are:

• Take advantage of natural light by using more glass, transparent roof tiles, and skylights.
• Opt for LED bulbs.
• Choose electronics with greater energy efficiency.
• Use natural ventilation and cut back on air conditioning and fans.

In addition, seeking out renewable energy sources, such as solar power, is also a great way to be more sustainable.

9. Reduce packaging, disposables, and paper

The less waste your restaurant generates, the better. So be mindful and use as little packaging as possible. Also look for more sustainable alternatives, such as packaging made from biodegradable or recycled material.

Pay special attention to delivery packaging, which tends to be a major source of waste. Ask the customer whether they really need the napkins and cutlery, for example. This small step alone cuts waste a lot.

Finally, use technology to your advantage. The digital menu, for example, eliminates the need for a physical menu and spending on paper and printing. The same goes for electronic tabs and integrated POS and KDS systems for taking orders.

Count on EPOC to make your business more sustainable

As you can see throughout this article, small actions already go a long way toward having a more sustainable restaurant.

In many cases, technology is an ally. Digitalizing processes not only reduces the waste generated but also makes the operation far more efficient and helps put an end to waste.

A EPOC has some solutions that can help: POS, KDS, digital menu, electronic tabs, and much more. Schedule a free demo and see how they work in practice!