In the UK, pubs are really big players in the hospitality industry. Whether you find yourself in a busy city or a small village, odds are – you’re not far from the nearest pub. Consequently, pubs across the UK see large amounts of business come through their doors on a daily basis – and lots of customers mean lots of waste. In addition to producing large quantities of waste, pubs also produce a wide variety of waste types – this variation can make waste management and recycling challenging for pubs.
In this blog from Great Western Recycling, we outline some of the main types of waste produced by pubs, going on to offer advice on how best to manage each. We will also note the usefulness of outsourcing waste management to expert businesses such as Great Western Recycling.
Types of Pub Waste and How to Manage Them
The different areas of a pub’s smooth-running create different types of waste, so it’s important that each of them is disposed of or recycled effectively and in accordance with local and government legislation.
Waste types include…
Food Waste
In addition to serving drinks, many pubs offer food as a large part of their service. Serving food produces waste at a number of stages. During the preparation stages, chefs will discard food waste that is not suitable for use within the dish. Food waste will also be generated by customers in the event of a dish not being finished. Many pubs also serve snacks such as crisps and nuts which are ordered ahead of time and can be purchased at the bar. When ordering these products, it is important that pub owners are aware of the demand for such products as well as their shelf life. Products that go off prior to being purchased will have to be disposed of.
Businesses must remove food waste from sites where fresh food is prepared and served as quickly as possible. Food waste can also be challenging to dispose of due to its attractiveness to animals and pests. When using bins to store food waste, it is vital that the contents are well sealed and ideally colour-coded. This keeps pests at bay, reduces unsavoury smells and makes waste easier to organise for collection.
It is almost certain that pubs will produce a quantity of waste that exceeds that eligible for conventional local collections, so the majority of pubs and hospitality venues outsource their food waste disposal to industry experts such as us here at Great Western Recycling. Take a look at our food waste recycling services to see how they may suit the needs of your business.
Plastics
Across any industry, plastic waste is almost unavoidable. Within a pub environment, plastic waste will come from delivery packaging and the packaging of items themselves. When ordering large amounts of a product, it is likely that items will arrive encased in some form of plastic for protection purposes – it is likely that these plastic-heavy packages will arrive numerous times a week! Smaller quantities of plastic waste will also be generated in bathrooms through products such as soaps and sanitisers, even from the packaging of items such as toilet rolls.
Plastics are ideal candidates for recycling in whatever quantity. However, when it comes to recycling any material, required sorting can leave businesses overwhelmed. Luckily, outsourcing waste management to industry experts such as ourselves offers pub owners peace of mind that their recyclable waste is being handled correctly. We even offer a dry mixed recycling service that is perfect for pubs and clubs.
Paper & Cardboard
Similarly to plastics, many deliveries of bar stock will feature large amounts of cardboard packaging, particularly cardboard boxes. The large quantities of these make it essential for pubs to have effective recycling protocols for recycling materials.
Plastics offer a perfect opportunity for recycling, so it’s important to ensure your plastic recycling system is as effective as possible! Many waste management businesses (including ourselves) offer collection services for recyclable materials. Plastics fall under our dry mixed recycling service – allowing a large portion of waste to be handled all at once!
Washroom & Sanitary Waste
As with any hospitality venue, washroom facilities do produce a substantial amount of waste that must be handled and disposed of with care, especially in a venue that serves food and drink.
Due to the nature of washroom waste, many businesses feel unsure when it comes to its disposal. Businesses can organise for waste of this type to be collected at their desired interval using many waste disposal providers, influential factors might include frequency of use and bin volume. To read about how Great Western Recycling could help your business in this area, take a look at our information on washroom and sanitary services
Waste Management for Pubs with Great Western Recycling
At Great Western Recycling, we offer a range of waste management, recycling and skip-hire services ideal for businesses of all sizes. These services include tailored waste management for pubs and clubs. Our range of services covers general waste, mixed recycling, food waste recycling, glass waste recycling and hazardous waste disposal to name a few. With over 35 years of experience in the waste management industry, our expert team are on hand to support you with expert pub waste collection services. To discuss how our solutions could help your business – get in touch today.
For similar articles, check out our blog. Posts include Waste Management Tips for Hospitality Businesses and Types of Waste in Business – Understanding the Different Types of Waste.