February 19th, 2020
Every year, more than $7 billion worth of food is wasted at hotels, restaurants, and institutions – that’s about 13% of all food loss and waste in Canada. Here are two of the biggest out-of-home food waste culprits and some tips for stopping them in their tracks.
Plate Waste
Food left on your plate in a restaurant is known in the industry as, no surprise, “plate waste” and it has to be thrown out – yes, even your untouched side salad that was served on its own plate, and probably that full bread basket and the leftover charcuterie. Plate waste is particularly an issue at buffets where both staff and diners can create it, for example, staff over-prepare food to give the impression of variety and abundance, and diners fill their plates with more than they can eat to get more “value”.
Stopping plate waste: tips for diners
And speaking of teenagers…
Food waste is a problem at institutions like colleges and universities, too, since many have buffets and deal with fluctuating numbers of students at any given meal. While some campuses are looking at composting programs as a way of managing organic waste in the dining hall, reducing food waste at its source can be a better choice.
Here’s what some campuses have tried to minimize waste:
Want to start a food revolution?
Want to get your favourite bistro or campus dining hall to take a stand against food waste?