Restaurant solid waste — it’s not exactly a sexy topic, is it? In fact, if you don’t work in the solid waste industry, the conversation about how to efficiently dispose of last night’s leftover chicken wings and crumpled paper napkins may not even be on your radar. You plunk your bags in a bin and your waste removal service takes care of the rest. Problem solved, right? Wrong. As you search for ways to run a more safe and cost effective food service business, you should give compactors for restaurants some careful consideration.
Yes, we definitely understand that your business is still feeling the effects of the recession—and the slow recovery gives us all pause when we consider capital investments.
So, we “get it” when you ask if stationary and self-contained compactors are worth their purchase price.
Our short answer? “Heck, yeah.”
Of course, you’re looking for a deeper answer than that, so consider this….
Compactors help restaurants cut costs
How much are you currently spending on your garbage service?
Because our customers in the food service industry—from hotel restaurants and fine dining establishments to school cafeterias and fast food chains—routinely report a savings of 50-75% when they transition from traditional garbage bins to compactors.
In fact, one suburban fast food franchise cut its monthly waste-hauling bill by 73%, saving an average of nearly $7,900 per year.
That’s quite a chunk of change and, if you ask me, one that could be more wisely spent on kitchen upgrades or renovations to your dining area.
The concept is simple: Compactors compress your restaurant waste; significantly increasing your garbage capacity, so there’s less to haul away.
And that can have a big impact on your bottom line.
Compactors also mean a cleaner, safer restaurant operation
While cutting costs is a critical consideration, it’s obviously not the only one. A well-run restaurant also needs to address issues related to workplace cleanliness and safety.
Now, imagine what happens when your party of six dines al fresco on a tropical August night and the wafting smell of garbage turns their stomachs.
It’s a real consideration in the food service industry—restaurant waste just doesn’t “keep.”
But when you disposes of your food waste in a compactor, the garbage is sealed in a container and kept out of the sun, minimizing those offensive, stomach-churning odors.
The sealed compartment also means your food waste won’t attract rodents, bees or other pests—a pretty significant consideration when you’re operating in the hospitality industry.
And that’s not all.
Since you’re able to keep workspaces neat, you can minimize potential disability claims from employees that might otherwise trip over garbage and recyclables or slip-slide through the puddle of vinaigrette that’s seeping out of your garbage bags.
Compactors for restaurants deliver big benefits
Our restaurant customers have had great success with their stationary and self-contained compactors.
So, while, on the surface, solid waste removal may not seem like a pressing issue, your restaurant business can realize some significant gains—both in work environment improvements and your bottom line.