Recycling at Food Businesses

While recycling at home is commonplace, the same services are not always readily available for commercial customers. As a result, food businesses intending to support recycling efforts take extra steps to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

One example of a business group taking the lead in recycling efforts can be found at the Forking Amazing Restaurants (Bistro Aix, Il Desco and Ovinte). “Recycling is something we are passionate about, and that’s why we do it,” says Matt Mannick, president of Forking Amazing. But, he says, it’s not as easy as it would be for a homeowner here in Jacksonville.

Bistro Aix has one of the most extensive recycling programs in the area. They recycle cardboard, as many businesses do, along with paper, glass and aluminum, which is more unusual. They are able to implement this at the restaurant because they have space for the collection bins and a wide enough profit margin to pay for the extra service. Restaurants don’t get free trash pick-up through the city, but must pay for a commercial service to not only take away their regular trash, but also their recycling. The more recycling they do, the more it costs them.

Mannick feels some improvements would make recycling easier, such as having vendors provide sorting bins not just outside, but also for inside the restaurant. Currently restaurants must provide those themselves. The best option, which does not really exist for businesses at a low cost, would be the same sort of system that’s utilized at home, where all the recycling is placed in one bin. This would cut down on the space, often needed for parking, and be less labor intensive for the employees.