As any foodservice professional will tell you, delivering quality food at a competitive price is key to succeeding in the restaurant business. Lately, though, the rising cost of energy and water seem to be affecting everyone’s bottom line.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent your utility bill from eating away at your profit margin. Through careful planning and by being an educated consumer, you can learn how to reduce expenditures for these valuable resources. As you become more practiced at conserving, you will discover how cost-effective and easy it is to go green.
Saving Water
With water and sewer rates rising in every area of the country, kitchen operators are re-evaluating how they work, seeking new ways to reduce water consumption in their commercial kitchens. To stop wasting water and start saving money, take a look at the following suggestions and see how many you can use in your own foodservice establishment.
- Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator. Do not use running water to thaw out frozen foods. It is expensive and inefficient.
- Use greywater (defined as the wastewater produced from baths and showers, clothes washers and lavatories) as well as chemically-uncontaminated rinse water to irrigate indoor and outdoor plants, or it can be used for other non-food purposes.
- Use a warewasher instead of a conventional rack dishwasher whenever you can. It will reduce water consumption. Also, check the pressure gauge on your machine to make sure it doesn’t exceed 20 psi.
- Check if your pre-rinse sprayer has a low-flow valve. If it doesn’t, get one right away. They are just as effective but use much less water.
- Track water usage at your facility. You will become attuned to any sudden jumps in consumption, helping you to detect potential problems with your equipment or water system.
- Upgrade older-technology equipment, such as boiler-style steamers and combi ovens, with newer models that are more efficient. Connectionless steamers and boilerless combis are designed to have all the benefits of their water-intensive predecessors, but they use far less water.
- Lower the temperature on your pasta cooker. By maintaining a simmer you will lose less water through evaporation and cooking times will be about the same.
- Use equipment with air-cooled condensers instead of water-cooled models, if at all possible. Air-cooled styles consume slightly more electricity but the savings in water will be substantial. The purchase price should be the same.
- If your refrigerator has a water-cooled condenser, have a refrigeration engineer install a system with a cooling tower to avoid wasting water. Just make sure the system is designed so that if the cooling tower is down for maintenance, the water can still be sent down the drain, just as before.
Saving Energy
If you're not already in an energy-saving state of mind, you will be soon. The financial incentives are too good to miss out on, and many of the efforts that energy experts suggest require little in the way of time or money. Try putting some of them into practice today:
- When shopping, compare efficiency ratings and look for the Energy Star logo, the U.S. Department of Energy's stamp of approval for energy-efficient products. Making purchasing decisions based solely on sticker price is a mistake that can cost you for many years to come. Above all, do not assume that just because an appliance is energy efficient that it will be more expensive. Always read your labels so you can make informed buying decisions. » Learn More
- Rely on accelerated cooking ovens instead of conventional ones, whenever possible. Lightwave, combi-microwave and conventional microwave ovens are all energy-efficient appliances that can substantially reduce cooking times.
- Experiment with induction cooking, already a popular option in Europe because of its energy-efficient qualities.
- Perform monthly inspections of your facility, as well as all appliances. If your schedule does not permit this, then hire a maintenance service that specializes in foodservice businesses. A technician can replace worn gaskets and dirty filters, review all digitally programmed settings, repair loose hinges, fix clogged burners, vacuum refrigerator coils and make sure that all systems are working as they should. Regular maintenance is key to keeping your appliances performing as they were designed to do, saving you money in the long run.
- Reduce preheating and idling times for all appliances, shutting them off for several hours per day, if possible.
- Test your equipment to be sure that all thermostats are correct. Recalibrate them, as needed.
- Install an instantaneous booster heater, but don’t forget to turn it off at night, along with your dishwasher’s internal tank heater. Heating water and maintaining it hot for hours on end can drain a kitchen of energy resources. Adding insulation to your hot water system will help prevent heat loss.
- Use as much natural light as possible. Avoid incandescent lighting in work areas and try to rely on 1-inch T-8 tube fluorescents lighting, which are 33% more efficient than 1.5-inch P-12 tubes.
- Look into a heat recovery system. It can make use of waste heat from walk-in refrigerators and freezers by using it to preheat water.
- Take a look at demand-ventilation control systems. Considered one of the most cost-effective applications of energy-saving technology, variable-speed hoods make it possible for institutions and large commercial kitchens to realize an annual savings of 50% or greater. Best of all, the return on investment is reportedly less than a year.
- Use a programmable thermostat to avoid leaving your heating or cooling system on overnight.
- Have window film professionally applied to windows that receive the most sun. This will help reduce cooling costs.
- Investigate if an Energy Management System (EMS) can reduce your energy costs. This integrated approach to energy conservation controls lighting systems as well as kitchen exhaust fans.
Saving the Environment
Waste management—specifically, the disposal of spent oil, food materials, bottles, cans, trash and packaging material—is a growing problem that demands an immediate solution. In many communities you will find non-profit organizations ready to assist foodservice providers in their recycling and disposal efforts. Contact them to get started building your own waste reduction program. In the meantime, these tips will point you in the right direction:
Buying Green
- Start ordering bulk supplies. This will help cut down on packaging materials.
- Buy biodegradable disposables. You can now find a variety of products, including baskets, drinking straws, plates, cups and utensils--all made from corn and wheat starches.
- Avoid single-use condiment packages. Instead, use refillable condiment organizers or dispensers and other re-useable products.
- Purchase air hand dryers and cut down on paper waste.
Disposing of Food Waste
- Arrange for all edible food waste to go to a local food bank. The National Restaurant Association reports that 20% of all commercially-prepared food goes to waste. Before you get started, check that your community has laws to protect food donors from civil or criminal liabilities. Then contact your local department of health for guidelines on donating food.
- Arrange to send non-edible food waste to licensed garbage feeders, such as local farmers as well as hog, cattle and poultry producers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) has a list of service providers in your state.
- Do not put food waste down the garbage disposal. This merely routes it through the wastewater treatment plant.
Recycling for Dollars
- Contact the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) to find a broker in your area for steel waste and crushed cans. With escalating steel prices, your recycled goods are a commodity.
- Arrange to have foodservice waste collected by a commercial composting facility.
- For spent oil, contact a local alternative energy company or a community organization involved in the conversion of waste oil into biofuels.
- Designate a storage area for recycled goods and keep it clean by routinely washing and sanitizing all bins. Be careful about contaminating nearby areas with run-off waste and water.
Keeping Water & Sewer Systems Clean
- Prevent backups and avoid costly visits from the plumber by never pouring grease or oil down the drain.
- Properly maintain grease traps by making arrangements with a skimming service to remove grease on a regular basis.
- If you do not use a skimming service, establish a routine pumping schedule when a contractor can clean out your grease trap.
- Never run hot water through a grease trap. Referred to as “hot flushing,” this can cause major clogs that your establishment will be responsible for cleaning up.
- Invest in an alternative grease trap. These newer designs heat the trap and de-solidify the grease for easier removal.
- Do a dry cleanup before putting equipment, dishware or utensils into the dishwasher. Use a scraper or a squeegee and remove food waste instead of putting it through a garbage disposal. It is more costly to dispose of food waste via the sewer system than the landfill.
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