As nice as the smile of a satisfied guest may be when serving coffee or pasta, the work that has to be done at the end of the day - apart from washing up and cleaning - is unfortunately also annoying. We're talking about the unpopular and never loved waste separation. What to do with leftover oil, till receipts and what exactly is allowed in the residual waste?

Spoiler: There are also clear laws in Germany that you should adhere to, otherwise it can quickly become expensive. In this article, we explain everything you need to know about the correct disposal for your everyday catering business so that you not only save money in future, but also protect the environment. We also reveal how you can easily avoid unnecessary waste without stress. Let's talk dirty!

Even at first glance, it's obvious that waste is generated in almost every room in the catering industry: in the office, in the bathroom, but also at the table and - the number one source of waste - in the kitchen. You can find out how to get rid of plastic in the kitchenat .

A lot of waste accumulates, especially in places where people cook:

• Organic waste, especially fruit and vegetable scraps
• Paper and cardboard boxes
• Plastic, foil, cans
• Glass containers
• Cooking fats and oils
• Other waste

It can be useful to start by taking a small inventory in order to identify potential savings that you can use later. It is best to carry out this check regularly to keep an eye on your waste at all times. Depending on the business, it may also make sense to have a waste officer who keeps an eye on the whole thing and carries out regular checks. Just find out what works for you - here too, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Admittedly, we too are sometimes at a loss with our garbage in front of garbage cans and containers and are not always sure what actually belongs where. If in doubt, it is certainly advisable to check online or at the relevant collection points beforehand, as incorrectly thrown waste costs a lot of time - and money - later on. After all, anyone who is checked and proves to separate waste incorrectly can be fined.

In general, our waste can be divided into five different categories, each of which has its own container:

1. The yellow bag or the yellow garbage can are primarily for lightweight packaging made of plastic and metal, i.e. juice and milk packaging as well as food cans and composite materials. It is important that the packaging is "spoon clean", so empty out any leftover food beforehand.
2. Waste paper such as paper scraps, cardboard boxes and also packaging and leaflets made from these two materials can be disposed of in the appropriate garbage can or, for larger quantities, directly in the appropriate container. By the way: Although receipts are made of paper, they are made of thermal paper and should therefore be disposed of in residual waste to prevent the release of harmful substances during recycling.
3. Likewise, glass belongs in containers, whereby the separation of colors is essential for proper recycling. However, ceramics, porcelain and similar items are out of place here, as are window panes and drinking glasses. Incidentally, the same applies to all glass products that cannot be identified by color or cannot be assigned to one of the containers (spirits): Treat them like green! This is because "wrong" glass in the green container can be compensated for later during recycling, while other throwing in white or brown glass can mean a loss of valuable glass in the processes for new packaging.
4. All materials that can be biodegraded, i.e. mainly leftover fruit and vegetables, but also coffee filters and paper towels, go in the organic waste bin. This also has its own garbage can, into which you can empty the kitchen waste garbage can daily, ideally you even have a compost bin. Residual waste, as the name suggests, is for everything that doesn't belong elsewhere. This includes light bulbs, toiletries and cigarettes.
5. But what about fats, oils and food waste? The former should be separated from the leftovers on the plates. Fats and oils should therefore preferably be disposed of in a separate garbage can, which is then emptied regularly by the relevant companies and, ideally, replaced with a clean container. The same applies to containers for food waste. Incidentally, you should keep these at low temperatures with a condenser cooler until collection to avoid odors and vermin.

To prevent too much leftover food from ending up in the garbage can in the first place, you can also consider alternatives at this point. For buffets in hotels, for example, it is a good idea to make open dishes available to employees after mealtimes or to find out about food sharing alternatives - this not only saves space in your garbage can, but also does something good. You can find tips on how to reduce waste in your hospitality business and become more sustainable in other areas, such as water consumption,at .

By the way: The collection of food waste and oils is sometimes associated with costs, and organic and residual waste also costs money. So if large companies produce liters of waste, it can be expensive. It is therefore worth finding out about inexpensive but certified companies. The size of the bin can also bring real savings, as every liter costs more. Conclusion: The cheapest waste is the waste you don't produce in the first place.

To give you an overview, here is a table showing you the top types of waste and where to dispose of them correctly:

Want to save waste? We all want to, but we also know that it's sometimes not that easy in everyday life. When things get stressful at work, it's easy to throw our intentions overboard and more ends up in the garbage can than we'd like. But there are a few places where you can easily cut down on waste. We have already summarized our best tips for making your restaurant a little more plastic-freehere . But there are also other places where you can easily produce less waste:

1. storing ingredients correctly is half the battle

To prevent food from going bad in the first place, waste prevention starts with correct storage. And you can save a lot with food because, as with packaging, a lot of waste ends up in the garbage can. In addition to correct storage according to temperature and location, sorting according to purchase and expiration date can also make a decisive contribution to avoiding waste. Systems with boxes are ideal here, where fresh ingredients are stored in the lower compartments, for example, and those to be used up higher up. A system in the fridge can also work wonders. You can also buy products that you use a lot in larger packs instead of smaller ones and vice versa.

2 Buy cheap and you'll end up with twice the waste

Even small animals make a mess! Investing in suitable, high-quality knives is very worthwhile, as a lot of edible food is lost during food preparation. This saves you a lot of waste when cutting meat, but also when peeling fruit and vegetables, which can then end up on your guests' plates instead of in the garbage can.

3. know your customers

Even a glance at the menu and the customers' plates can be worth hard cash. Which dishes are loved by your customers and which are real "card holders"? Find out what your guests want to eat and focus on seasonal menus with products from the region - customers appreciate high-quality products. Half of them want fries, the other half leaf salad with their burger? Try the modular principle and let your guests choose their own side dish. Another problem you are often confronted with: Customers like it, but there's still something left over. Encourage your customers to bring their own storage containers or use to-go packaging made from sustainable materials. Alternatively, you can also offer two different sizes of your dishes so that there is something for every appetite.

4. make your leftovers the highlight of the day

If you have a certain amount of ingredients left that are about to spoil, why not create a dish of the day from them? It's sure to be a customer magnet on a chalkboard in front of the entrance and your team can get really creative again. If there's not quite so much left, but you still don't want to deprive your guests of the leftovers, then simply offer your creations as a small amuse-bouche for an aperitif. Even if it's not to their taste, your guests are sure to be delighted.

5 It's all about communication!

Do you want to produce less waste? Then tell your guests about it. Put small signs on the buffet, in the bathroom or at the table to show that you are committed to sustainable gastronomy. Ask them to think about whether they should have a large portion straight away or whether they would prefer a second helping later and whether they really need a new napkin for every course. You'll see: The effort will pay off and less and less food, paper towels and the like will end up in your waste garbage can. And who knows if your sustainability isn't contagious for one or two guests?

If you want to know exactly how you can avoid plastic waste in the catering industry, just take a look at our magazine article.

The answer is as simple as it is important: recycling. Packaging from the yellow bag that can be recycled only goes to the right place if it is in the yellow bag. In plain language: separation is key! Recyclable packaging can be further processed in the next step. The situation is similar for glass and paper. Everything that ends up in the residual waste is later incinerated and has no sustainable benefit. In addition, incineration releases a lot of CO2 into the environment.

Our tip: If you want to try to reduce or eliminate packaging waste from the outset, we have collected a few tips and incentives for youat here .

To ensure that the right materials are recycled, the waste must be separated - everything else is just work and microplastics more easily end up in nature. And not even that little: as there are still no suitable machines for the fine separation of waste, the "wrong" waste is sorted out by hand, which costs money and, given the volume, resources. Incorrectly sorted organic waste in particular can contaminate packaging to such an extent that its recyclability is severely restricted - not exactly a nice idea, is it? By recycling, some of the resources that were previously taken from the environment can be preserved and reused and this also has a positive effect on the climate - take that, greenhouse effect!

Save money and do something good for the environment by separating waste

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to waste. Whether it's a small café or a Michelin-starred restaurant, how, where and how much waste can be saved is ultimately a very individual story. But even (strategic) baby steps can go a long way if they go in the right direction! Our tip: start with separation and gradually declare war on waste - after all, champions don't just fall from the sky here either.

Waste means money and wastes valuable resources if separated incorrectly. The motivation invested here to inform, sort and analyze potential savings is therefore doubly worthwhile. What's more, less waste also means less wasted work and time - it's best to put both into tomorrow's daily menu today!