Restaurant recycling is socially conscious, and it gives you the perfect opportunity to properly handle your establishment's waste management. Recycling in restaurants isn't hard, and in fact, by establishing a few simple procedures you can not only recycle glass and other container materials, but you can also sort waste for compost as well.

Restaurant recycling products are available to you to help in this process, and finding the right restaurant recycling equipment or bins for you will be just what you need to get you started.

To begin a restaurant recycling program at your establishment.

1. Look at how other businesses are doing it.

2. See how the experts recommend that you do it.

3. Purchase the needed restaurant recycling equipment or bins to get well on your way.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Seek out restaurant recycling supplies

Find and purchase your restaurant recycling supplies from easily navigable sites. The ease of purchase as well as the availability are a factor that should influence your decision.

I recommend: Check out the restaurant recycling supplies that ReStockIt.com offers. They offer a wide variety of recycle bins and bin tops suitable for your restaurants needs. You can also check out the 50 gallon recycle bin from KaTom. Instawares Restaurant Supply SuperStore also offers a wide variety of restaurant recycling products.

Look into commercial restaurant recycling equipment

For those with the need for restaurant recycling solutions, you can easily find heavy-duty commercial recycling equipment. Recycling machines such as a baler can help you free up space, create a safer work environment, show that your business is environmentally friendly and could potentially be a source of revenue.

I recommend: Balers from WasteCare Corporation can help streamline your recycling and waste management by reducing the size of your output trash and recyclables considerably. They even offer a handy "The Basics about Waste Recycling Balers" page on their website. The balers that Harmony Enterprises sells can compact your cardboard, your plastics, your textiles and more.

Work into a restaurant recycling program that best suits you

Recycling for restaurants can initially be time consuming, but by following advised steps and sticking with the program, you can easily fall into a routine that makes that task simple and natural.

I recommend: The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has compiled a 7 step process for hotels and restaurants to improve the waste management programs for their businesses. These steps are helpful for all businesses. Norcal Waste Systems, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in waste collection, recycling, transfer, and landfill operations. They have an interesting 2004 press release from the San Francisco area that highlights restaurants who separated food scraps for compost collection. Sites like that can give you ideas on innovative ways to reduce your waste output as well as figure out what items you can recycle within your establishment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For a business just starting out with their recycling in restaurants program, look to non-profit organizations that have great sample programs and advice to help you implement your program.