How Do Restaurants Benefit from Waste Management Audit

Research shows that the daily waste generation rate of full-service restaurants is around 11.5 %. The waste generation rate smaller restaurants and fast food sale units deal with is even more alarming.

The significance of waste management audit is rising in the hotel management and hospitality industry. Several reputed now provide specialized waste management audit services to help restaurants curb the wastage rate and use funds and resources more efficiently.

Service providers like P3 Analysts conduct a waste audit and have experts who are gaining popularity because waste management in restaurants helps generate considerable savings by minimizing waste. Top-class restaurants around the world now employ in-house waste management consultants to reduce waste. Smaller entrepreneurs can utilize the services of waste management auditors.

Assess the Current Situation

As the first step, the auditor assesses and analyses the present waste generation levels of the restaurant. The auditor will take a deep plunge into the bills and invoices generated from operations to understand how much food and raw materials the auditor sources from suppliers and how much the restaurant needs.

Waste is generated when the restaurant buys and produces more food than it needs. The waste management auditor analyses then try to estimate the restaurant’s actual supply requirements based on billing data and sales data. The auditor may also try to study how much food is sold as takeaway and how many customers attend the restaurant for actual dining.

Identify Wastage

The auditor reviews the bills, invoices to identify which area is most responsible for waste generation. For instance, if the restaurant is sourcing more fresh ingredients from markets and suppliers than it needs, the auditor will draft and prepare suggestive strategies. If the restaurant is producing more food than it is capable of selling, the auditor will think of ways to lower production levels. 

Waste Reduction Strategies

Once the waste generation areas are identified, the auditor may suggest waste reduction strategies based on the restaurant’s buying and selling data. The audit expert may advise the restaurant owner to source lesser quantities of raw material or lower the restaurant’s production level.

The auditor will look into intricate details like the cost of packaging material used to pack takeaway food and details of transportation charges paid to delivery trucks or other vehicles. Expert audit teams like the P3 Analysts waste audit will look into receipts and bills relating to the restaurant’s functional areas and develop effective strategies to minimize waste generation.

Recycle and Reuse Strategies

If your restaurant can reduce waste by implementing recycling and reuse measures, the auditor will suggest the best ways to put them into practice. For instance, you may be able to use recycled packing material. You may also have the capacity to recycle items like plastic drink bottles, disposable food containers, boxes, and other utensils. Recycling them may also be a cheaper alternative to buying fresh items.

Make or Buy Decisions

Your waste management auditor will help you with “make or buy” decisions as part of a waste management audit. For instance, top restaurants may have their farms from which they source their vegetables and meat.

Suppose the auditor identifies that the cost of maintaining an independent farm is much higher than the cost of buying vegetables and meat from a local farmers’ market or another supplier. In that case, the auditor will point this out to the restaurant owner. The auditor studies projections, budgets, and other quantitative data related to the restaurant to understand make or buy scenarios.

Constant Waste Control Efforts

As a restaurant owner, you will not have the time or freedom to pay considerable attention to one business area alone. Restaurant owners cannot invest too much of their time into waste management efforts.

Outsourcing this job to an expert waste management audit team will relieve the owners from this strenuous task. The waste management auditor will focus on waste generation and waste control and take consistent measures to ensure effective control.

Waste Management Budgets

Experienced waste management auditors who work with similar restaurants may use financial tools like budgets and forecast charts for effective waste management. The auditor will budget for an acceptable waste generation level and try to ensure that the restaurant follows this budget. Planning and budgeting facilitate the proper implementation of waste control measures.

Time and Cost-Efficient

The services of professional waste management auditors will help restaurant owners save time and cost. Restaurants can generate considerable savings with effective waste control. Besides helping eliminate unnecessary costs, waste management audits can also help restaurants develop more cost-effective strategies for long-term functioning.