Tag Archives: food waste

One Change = Big Difference

The reuse of food is discussed a bit in my paper but I would like to expand on it here.  Reusing food is not considered a new solution but it is a solution restaurants should actively practice.  There are always options for various ways to reuse food – you can make a stock with leftover bones and veggie scraps or with leftover veggies and fruits you can make smoothies.

At the Lea Restaurant the seasonal fruit on their brunch menu is being wasted each time it is served. One new way to fix this is to take all of the unused fruit and veggie/fruit scraps to make smoothies.  With the addition of yogurt (already on hand) the restaurant is able to incorporate this practice, introduce a new menu item, and reduce the amount of food wasted during their brunches.  That’s a win, win, win situation.

Restaurants need to constantly change their approach to food to stay “present” in this overcrowded industry.

13-Ways-to-use-Food-Scraps-Cover

Model Restaurant: The Farm on Adderley

The Farm on Adderley is in my neighborhood of Kensington, Brooklyn.  I love going to this place because their food is so yummy and I really like that they use fresh local ingredients.  This is also a restaurant that composts their food waste and has their used cooking oil picked up and reused a fuel.  How cool is that?

My project consists of me using the Lea Restaurant in the Kensington, Brooklyn neighborhood to not only model after the Farm on Adderley but to expand and continuously change as it perfects the process of reducing food waste.

the-farm-on-adderley

The SRA in London

The SRA is the Sustainable Restaurant Association – it is located in London, England.  This group was formed in 2010 and was created to make it easier for restaurants and the industry as a whole to incorporate sustainability practices.  This organization is not covered much in my paper but I thought it was important to show you existing models outside of the United States.  This goes to the overall conversation that food waste is a worldwide issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later.

The SRA has 14 key areas of focus and they work with restaurants on pledges.  I love this idea.  The SRA appoints account managers and then helps them pledge to make changes in any of specific these areas.  This allows the restaurant to weigh the cost and benefits of becoming more sustainable in one area (say water saving instead of community engagement).

SRA_2010_Pledges-600x360

 

 

Food Waste Facts

When I started my research I thought the numbers of food waste would be high but I didn’t expect them to be as high as they are.  These numbers are astounding and scary.  If we are wasting this much food now how much higher will it go as more people inherit the earth? Landfills are overcrowded and they produce and introduce methane gases to the air (which also contributes to climate change).  Food waste reduction and sustainability is something all restaurants and consumers should make a priority.

Food Waste Infographic shareable

Food Waste/Sustainability

This semester my focus will be writing a paper about food waste and sustainability.  Specifically I will be talking about new ways restaurants in Kensington, Brooklyn can incorporate these practices.  There is one restaurant in my neighborhood that is already sustainable so I will use them as a guide for other restaurants in the area.

food waste

I still have a lot of research to do and it is possible my findings will lead me in another direction.  However, I am excited to see where I end up once my paper is completed.

I hope you will come along for another ride with me this semester.

Maria