Food scraps separation policy: Is your business in compliance?

​Learn from local chefs and managers how to set up a successful compost program 

All businesses and commercial kitchens generating more than one 60-gallon roll cart of food scraps per week in the Metro region will be required to separate their food scraps and keep them out of the landfill by composting, donation or upstream prevention practices.

How to set up compost
Hear how The Old Spaghetti Factory set up food scrap collection. General Manager Gary Shepard shares how they:

• Got help from their local government Waste Specialist
• Found space for compost bins outside and in the kitchen
• Used green buckets and slim containers to collect plate scrapings and other food waste
• Worked one-on-one with employees to show them how easy it was to separate food scraps

He explained that he was hesitant at first but found they were able to compost without any inconvenience or additional labor, and that staff supported it almost instantly. Watch the 2.5 min video*

Compost tips from an experienced Chef
Providence Milwaukie Hospital’s Grapevine Café has been composting since 2012. Executive Chef Martin Pedersen shares how they:

• Set up the bins and dish stations
• Strain wet food waste before composting it
• Separate waste when scraping plates

Chef Pedersen also talks about the benefits and positive staff and customer response. Watch the 2 minute video*

Find opportunities to trim waste
Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington Square hotel found that separating food scraps helped them find ways to reduce food waste and save thousands of dollars a month. General Manager Scott Youngblood and Executive Chef Scott Hensley share how they:

• Set up compost service and collected food scraps separately from trash
• Did a waste audit of the food they collected to find out if any of the waste could have been prevented
• Reduced the size of buffet plates from 10” to 8”, which reduced customer food waste by 50%
• Made changes to purchasing, prep, and cross-utilizing ingredients to reduce wasted food

Watch this 3 minute video*

Once you start collecting food waste, you can more easily tell what is frequently wasted each day. Knowing this might help you reduce how much of certain foods you order and prepare, which can lower your purchasing costs and cut prep time. Visit FoodWasteStopsWithMe.org to learn more about the food scraps separation policy and/or to request assistance from a food waste reduction specialist.

SHARE YOUR STORY!
Does your business have a successful donation program going? Share your experience to inspire other companies to follow in your footsteps! Click here and submit your Success Story - we can’t wait to hear from you!

Food Waste Stops with Me is a collaboration between Metro, the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and city and county governments to help food service businesses reduce food waste.

*All videos have Closed Captions/Subtitles option for the following languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Russian and English

---