Foodservice Operations Waste Drinking Water, Too
Yes, we focus on food waste here. But drinking water is another frequently wasted item in foodservice, so we pay attention.
Think of all the glasses of drinking water we pour for diners that never touch them, or all the plastic water bottles we sell, or the infinite number of water pitchers we set-up for conference events. The bottom-line is: foodservice wastes lots of drinking water.
The impacts are three-fold:
- When we empty unused glasses and pitchers, we waste the drinking water itself, which has become an increasingly scarce resource .
- When we wash permanent ware such as glasses and pitchers, we waste energy, water, and labor.
- We throw away a massive volume of single-use plastic water containers.
How can we do better?
Three solutions:
- In cafeteria/buffet environments, place “plumbed-in” drinking water dispensers in a prominent location and offer only reusable cups (disposable cups can be available upon request). Merchandise this water so it’s an attractive option for patrons, rather than an afterthought. Yes, you will lose some bottled water sales but that product category is already under siege due to the bottle waste. Also, you can’t just eliminate water bottles outright because it dimishes customer choice, which is never a good thing. We just need to have an attractive non-bottled option.
- In conference centers and restaurants, consider offering bottled water in glass reusable bottles, and/or offer water on request. Companies such as Aquahealth and Natura offer some very interesting solutions, including sparking and flat options. You wash your own bottles and fill only what you need for each table, rather than for individual diners or conference participants. Bottles which aren’t touched aren’t wasted. This approach adds value to water (it looks better in a custom branded bottle than any glass or pitcher) and it allows you to limit the water you discard, the warewashing, and the bottle waste.
- Make sure your staff is only drinking water from reusable tumblers or glasses.
Give water some thought – it’s increasingly expensive and its packaging implications stretch far and wide. Trust that your efforts will add up to much more than a drop in the bucket!
