Don't Waste Food SC: Restaurants & Hospitality | South Carolina Department of Environmental Services

In the US, the restaurant industry generates about 11.4 million tons of food waste annually at a cost of roughly $25 billion every year. One study shows that restaurants could realize an additional $620 million in profit potential per year by adopting prevention solutions. For every $1 invested in food waste reduction efforts, restaurants can realize about $8 of cost savings.

Quick tips to prevent & reduce food waste in restaurants/hospitality:

Download SCDES's Smart Businesses Don't Waste Food Guide.
Conduct a waste audit. Determine what your waste is and how much it's costing your business.
Crop Planning. Meet with a local farmer to plan your menu around what is in season or available.
Buy smart. Adjustments in purchasing can save money and potential food waste.
Do the FIFO. First in, first out.
Be creative. Be creative with kitchen excess. Create new dishes out of repurposed ingredients like broths, stocks and soups. Use unusual parts of produce like squash blossoms and stems.
Donate. Instead of tossing extra produce, canned goods or prepared but unserved food, contact a local food bank or shelter. Feeding the Carolinas Foodbanks
DHEC supports and encourages donation. Is it legal for restaurants and other businesses to donate? YES!

Food Donation

Compost. Most businesses will need to contract with a compost hauler/vendor or find a community garden/compost area. Vendor Info

Benefits:

Potential cost savings.
Feeding people, not landfills.
Gives restaurants/hospitality an opportunity to enhance their reputation with guests, staff and investors. A study by Unilever revealed that 72 percent of American diners care about how restaurants handle food waste and 47 percent would be willing to spend more to eat at a restaurant with an active food recovery program.
Employee engagement in the program increases job satisfaction.

Other Resources:

SCDES's Retail Food Establishment Regulations
SCDES's S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program provides free, confidential technical assistance for recycling and food waste reduction.
ReFed's Restaurant Resources to Reduce Food Waste provides restaurants with measurement and tracking tools, tips, recommendations, strategies, best management practices and more to help prevent wasted food, save money and be a leader in the industry.
Leanpath offers comprehensive tips, technology and recommendations to restaurants and kitchens on how to reduce food waste.