Environmental Advice for Food Businesses
What is it
A sustainable food economy provides a range of healthy and sustainably sourced food that does not damage the planet, whilst supporting local businesses and jobs.
Read on to find out what you can do to go green and how this can help your business and the planet.
What You can do
1. Reduce food waste
Collectively, UK food-businesses waste one million tonnes of food per year, three quarters of which is still edible. By finding ways to reduce food waste, your business can cut its carbon footprint, reduce its operating costs and use fewer resources, saving you money. Furthermore, customers, financial institutions, employees and suppliers have a growing interest in a company’s environmental performance. Follow these simple actions to reap the benefits of reducing waste:
Measure your food waste using these helpful guidelines from our ‘Taste Not Waste’ Campaign.
Once you have determined where and why food is being wasted, it’s much easier to reduce it! Learn how to develop a food waste policy and take action on reducing waste here.
Food does not have to go in the bin! There are many organisations who can re-distribute food that would otherwise be wasted. Fill out our surplus food form and we will be in touch.
3. Recycle
Clear communication is key to successful recycling:
Get the bins right! Invest in good quality bins, with labels stating what should be put in which bin. For Greater Cambridge Shared Waste customers, download posters for your bins here.
Engage your staff. Involve staff from the beginning, so that they understand the benefits and what they need to do. This will encourage participation, increase recycling rates and may even lead to new green and money saving ideas!
Work together. Encourage your customers to recycle and consider working with neighbouring businesses to combine waste and save on contractor fees.
Choose the most appropriate waste management solution for your needs. When entering into a contract for food waste recycling, make sure that the service meets your requirements (bin types, collection frequencies, etc.) and won’t incur additional costs.
* Does your business have waste coffee grounds? Look into Cambridge Food Hub’s Green Coffee Shop Scheme! The scheme enables collaboration between local businesses to benefit the economy and the environment:
“The Food Hub will deliver a range of local products to your coffee shop or cafe. At the same time, we will collect a caddie of used coffee grounds and take them to Biobean for recycling. We will provide you with the caddies as part of the scheme. The idea is that the collection of waste products is efficient, as it happens at the same time as goods are being delivered.”
Click here for more information.
2. reduce packaging
Food and drink packaging items are now amongst the most commonly found litter items in Europe’s oceans! There are several straightforward steps to reducing packaging waste:
Use returnable and reusable packaging, for example, crates or boxes for fruit and vegetables.
Use real crockery! Clean and re-use items, rather than using disposable plates, cutlery & cups. Have a look at WRAP UK’s guidelines on eliminating plastics here.
Use refillable condiment bottles rather than individual sachets.
Offer an incentive for your customers to keep coming back to you, for example through giving discounts for bringing reusable packaging for takeaways.
Many businesses within Cambridge already provide reusable incentives, such as Benets and Fitzbillies, who both give discounts on coffee when customers bring a reusable cup!
Likewise, at the University of Cambridge, the University’s Catering Services have stopped selling all single-use plastic bottles, replacing them with cans and glass bottles (which are much more widely recycled) and free drinking water. Have a look at their Sustainable Food Policy for more examples of business sustainability.
* To further help reduce plastic waste, local businesses can sign up to the Refill app and offer passers-by the opportunity to refill reusable water bottles with free tap water. To get your business involved in the Refill revolution:
Download the Refill app.
Add your business and location.
Request your Refill sticker.
5. Save water
Similarly to saving energy, cutting water use can cut costs and your carbon footprint. have many benefits. Think about:
Taking regular meter readings to track when and where water is being used.
Using staff training and simple visual aids above sinks, such as signs with reminders about turning off taps.
Installing urinal controls or waterless urinals and waterless toilets.
Fitting simple water saving devices such as efficient flush toilets and automatic or sensor taps.
Where possible, use a water butt to collect and reuse rainwater.
* Visit Water Wise for more information on the benefits and methods of saving water.
4. Save energy
Lower energy use means higher profits! Through looking at where energy is used in your business, setting an energy saving target and taking action to achieve it, your business can reduce its operating costs and carbon footprint. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Take regular meter readings to track energy consumption.
Turn off appliances when not in use and at the end of service.
Establish a programme of regular checks and maintenance to ensure that all equipment is in good working order.
Choose energy efficient ‘A-rated’ equipment.
Consider using movement detectors to control lighting in toilets, meeting rooms and other areas that are not in constant use.
Use LED bulbs, which use less electricity and can last up to ten times longer than traditional bulbs.
Consider using induction cooking - much more planet-friendly than gas or traditional electric hobs and since they transfer heat directly to pans rather than the surrounding air, they can help take the heat out of the kitchen!
Use unheated hand dryers, which can use up to 80% less energy than a standard hand dryer.
Cambridge City Council has guides and tips on local initiatives here. The Carbon Trust also outlines further energy saving opportunities for food-sector businesses.
7. Save Resources
Cutting your use of other resources, like paper, can also make a difference. Here are some easily achievable actions to improve resource efficiency in all businesses:
Reduce paper use by reading and storing documents digitally.
Recycle or refill printer toners and cartridges.
Purchase products with little or no packaging, or request that deliveries to your business are shipped in returnable containers and return empty containers to your supplier.
Reuse packing envelopes / parcels, shred documents you no longer need and use the scraps as packaging instead of plastic or polystyrene chips.
6. Use Renewable energy
The use of fossil fuels for generating energy is a major contributor to climate change. Reducing energy use and our reliance on fossil fuels is essential to tackle the climate crisis. Your business can play its part by:
Using a renewable energy supplier: Companies like Good Energy can supply your business with renewable electricity, generated in the UK from sun, wind and water.
Generating your own power: The Carbon Trust provide several examples of small-scale energy generation techniques suitable for small businesses.
8. Keep it local
Sustainable practices benefit people, the local economy and the environment. Through mutual support between food businesses in Cambridge, the local food economy can prosper and our carbon footprint can be cut. Food businesses can keep it local by:
Using food which is locally grown and produced. for both fresh and non-perishable food. Check out our Sustainable Food Directory of local businesses here. Supporting these businesses could reduce your business’ carbon footprint, reduce your transport costs and strengthen the local economy.
Incorporating seasonal produce and avoiding excessive shipping. In particular, support any local businesses delivering with, for example: electric vehicles (such as Cambridge Organic).
Encourage staff to walk, cycle, use public transport or lift share to work and when traveling on business.
9. Communicate with Your Staff
Sharing your sustainability aims and ideas with your team are key to success. Every member of your team needs to understand your policies and aims and feel inspired and empowered to contribute. Consider:
Training your team on sustainability, sharing how and why you want to be sustainable and how they can contribute.
Encouraging discussion and input from all members of the team. Everyone should have a say on your green programme and be able to suggest improvements to the sustainability practice of the business.
Running campaigns to save energy, reduce waste, etc. Check out the Carbon Trust’s in-depth guide to running effective organisational engagement schemes here.
Posting visual cues, such as posters above sinks about not leaving taps running, or signs next to light switches about turning the lights off. Visit the WRAP Resource Library for recycling and food waste reduction campaign ideas, signs and posters!
Need more information or advice?
Email us at gemma@cambridgesustainablefood.org