Restaurant Composting: Cut Waste & Save Money With This Simple Change
- Lauren Rice
- Mar 12
- 5 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
Every year, restaurants throw away literally thousands of dollars of unused food. But that trash can be turned into treasure.
With 84% of American restaurants throw away their unused food, it’s no wonder that you’re considering adding compost to your long list of to-dos. The good news? It’s not as hard as you think – and there are actually more benefits than just making some really nice soil.
Read on to learn about the finer details of what exactly composting is, how it works, and how restaurant composting isn’t just good for the planet, but also for your business.
What exactly is composting?
Composting is the process of turning organic waste into nutrient-rich soil. Instead of blocking up the garbage disposal and hiking up your disposal fees with bag after bag of food scraps, composting lets you repurpose that waste into something useful.
How does composting work?
Composting needs four things for success: the right materials, the right temperature, the perfect amount of circulation, and just enough moisture that you don’t discover a new breed of mold.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how these four things work in harmony to keep your restaurant compost pile thriving:
Compost must-haves | What that means for your restaurant |
Materials | Provide nitrogen-rich food scraps (fruits, veggies, coffee grounds) plus carbon-rich materials (napkins, cardboard) |
Temperature | Maintain your compost at a toasty 100-140°F to break down materials efficiently |
Circulation | Turn compost 2-3 times a week to keep airflow high and odor low |
Moisture | Aim for a damp sponge texture – too dry, decomp slows; too wet, you risk mold |
But, why composting?
We get it. You already don’t have enough hours in the day. But the dollars restaurant composting can help you save makes all the difference.
Reduce your waste budget
The average restaurant throws away 4-10% of its food. And 30-40% of the food served doesn’t get eaten. That’s $1,100 for every 3.3 pounds of food tossed – money literally going into the trash.
Compost cuts that cost significantly.
Not only are you saving money, you’re also turning something environmentally dangerous into something environmentally useful.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Restaurants throw away 22-33 billion pounds of food every year. Composting means you can reduce that number.
Quality soil
You probably know this already, but compost produces top-notch soil. And the better the quality the soil, the better quality your ingredients, whether you’re growing your own herbs or supporting your local farms.
Attract eco-conscious customers
Promoting your new restaurant composting initiative is a way to get ahead of competitors and win more business.
How to get started composting in your restaurant or cafe
Don’t worry. Getting started with restaurant composting doesn’t have to mean you have a giant stinky decomposing pile you have to rotate on the weekly taking up valuable storage space.
Composting Step #1: Audit your waste
Take stock of what you’re throwing away to get an idea of how much you’ll be adding to your future compost pile. If you have any paper plates or napkins – or if you’ve started using compostable utensils – make sure to account for those as well.
Composting Step #2: Get your composting setup
Once you have an idea of how much waste you’re making, you can start scoping out where your compost setup should live.
There’s nothing wrong with starting small, but if you’re worried you still won’t have enough room, you can always partner with a local composting facility – which means you also won’t have to worry about keeping your pile at the optimal temperature or moisture level.
Composting Step #3: Educate your staff (and customers)
Make sure to educate your staff on why you’re undertaking this restaurant composting project. Provide clear guidelines and training on what should and should not go into the compost to keep your pile thriving, and assign roles so everyone knows when to take out the food waste bin and when to spin the tumbler. Reassure your team that this initiative means just a few extra chores for a lot of big change.
Make sure to tell your customers too! Promote your new composting sustainability program on your menus, social media, and signage to get the word out.
Composting Step #4: Make a collection station
Even if you decide to keep your compost elsewhere, you’ll still need collection bins for food scraps. Make sure to use sealed containers. These bins will need to be emptied and cleaned weekly (or bi-weekly depending on use) to prevent smells.
Composting Step #5: Analyze and improve
And with that, you have your new restaurant compost program up and running! Give it a little time to work out any kinks, and make sure to keep an eye on your pile so it gets rotated and reaches proper decomposition temperatures.
If you feel like things are moving too slowly (compost can take up to a year), add a bulking agent like wood chips or dry leaves to speed up decomposition.
Composting Step #6: Use that soil
Once you have your compost pile in place, you can use it yourself and start or bulk up your own garden. You can look into selling your compost too as an additional stream of income. Landscapers, homeowners, and even golf courses are always looking for quality soil to make their lawn shine. You could also donate the nutrient rich soil to nearby gardens, farms, schools, or even other restaurants.
Composting Step #7: Invest in eco-friendly materials
Those paper cups you serve coffee in? Or the utensils you always toss? Those can be composted, too – if you’re buying using the right materials.
We can make that easy for you. Get one of our free sample packs of compostable restaurant supplies to help you get started reducing waste!
Now that you’ve got the basics down, the only thing left to do is start saving money (and saving the planet).
Now go get composting!
Restaurant & cafe composting FAQs
What food scraps can I compost?
These food scraps and materials are all compost-friendly:
Fruits and vegetables
Coffee grounds and filters
Compostable utensils or cups
Paper napkins
Yard clippings (leaves, sticks)
Newspapers
What shouldn’t go into my compost?
Compost piles need a little TLC to thrive. Avoid the following to keep everything decomposing at a healthy rate:
Sick plants
Anything with dairy
Coal or ashes
Anything with oil, fat, or grease
Meat
Bones
How much will it cost to start composting?
Your basic composting materials are:
A container (between $50-$100) or partnering with a local facility ($30-$80/month)
Soil
Shovel
Does composting smell?
Not if you’re doing it right! Make sure to keep your pile well aerated and maintain that damp sponge texture, and you should be stink-free.
Now that you’ve got the basics down, the only thing left to do is start saving money (and saving the planet). Request your free sustainable restaurant supplies sample pack and start reducing waste today!
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