Anti-waste basket: the solution for your restaurant?

Restaurants are at the heart of environmental issues. In addition to energy consumption and waste management, the main problem is food waste. 

To reduce the environmental impact of your restaurant and give a second life to your unsold products, you can implement a simple solution: the anti-gaspi basket.

‍

The 3 advantages of anti-waste baskets in the foodservice industry

Food waste in a few key figures :

• Every year in France, almost 20% of the food produced ends up in the garbage can. That's 150 kg of food per person per year, wasted all along the food chain from producer to consumer. (Source: ecologie.gouv.fr, 2023)
• This represents 10 million tonnes of food wasted every year, or 16 billion euros and 15 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 3% of national greenhouse gas emissions. (Source: ecologie.gouv.fr, 2023)
• In 2022, nearly 6 out of 10 French people, or 2.4 million people, used food aid once or twice a week (Source: Fédération solidarité, 2023). 

1. Anti-gaspi baskets in foodservice: taking care of your brand image

Food waste has become a veritable scourge, representative of our times: "buy, consume, throw away" with no concern for the harmful repercussions for the planet. The restaurant profession, with its values and knowledge of the product, is in total contradiction with this mode of consumption. 

With this in mind, tomorrow's restaurateurs need to be particularly efficient in order to ensure the long-term future of their restaurants, and to play an educational role with their customers and employees, while limiting the impact of their activity on the environment. 

By implementing anti-waste solutions, you become a key player in the ecological transition and promote a brand image that's committed to and respectful of the environment. An excellent way to convey your values and commitments to your customers!

2. Increase gross margin

The restaurateur is constantly working to just-in-time profitability. Food waste represents a gross loss for the restaurant. The more you waste, the more you reduce your margin... In fact, throwing away food products nearing their use-by date is literally like throwing money away! 

By reducing losses on the previous day's or the day's unsold produce, you have every chance of increasing your gross margin. Setting up anti-gaspi baskets gives a second life to your unsold produce. You'll reduce food waste and make money on unsold products that would otherwise have ended up in the garbage can. You open up a new sales channel with additional income, while doing something good for the planet. 

3. Attract new customers

The French are increasingly concerned about ecological and environmental issues. Consumers like to know where the products on their plates come from. If you're committed to fighting waste, let your customers know. Don't hesitate to promote local, seasonal and organic products on your menu. 

Give customers back the value of your products: add value to your dishes by mentioning the names of local producers, for example. If you're out of stock on a particular product, explain that this is due to the fact that you work with fresh produce and manage your stocks as closely as possible. Communicate with customers and on your social networks about the anti-gaspi actions implemented in your restaurant. By highlighting your anti-gaspi baskets on these platforms, you have every chance ofattracting new customers to your restaurant. According to Too good to go, over 76% of customers who pick up an anti-waste basket in a restaurant return later as direct customers.

‍

Launch an anti-waste basket against unsold food

How can you set up anti-gaspi baskets in your restaurant? And what does the law say? Answers to all your questions about what to do with unsold food. 

What the law says

The aim of the anti-waste law is to halve food waste by 2025 in the retail and foodservice sectors, and by 2030 in commercial catering. In particular, it calls for the end of single-use plastic packaging by 2040.

• The "doggy bag" has been mandatory in commercial catering since July 1, 2021.
• In addition to the best-before date, consumers must be informed that the product can still be consumed after this date.
• As of January 1, 2023, expanded polystyrene packaging ("kebab box" type) will be banned. 
• The aim is to gradually move away from disposable plastic: unsold food baskets will have to be packed in reusable containers, or in bags or containers brought in by customers. (See also: the end of plastic food containers by 2025)

The aim of the law is also to improve stock management to limit the resulting wastage: use-by dates, minimum durability dates and batch numbers can be integrated into product coding. To limit losses, it is advisable to use inventory management software to help restaurateurs achieve their objectives. 

👉 To find out more: What does the anti-waste law say?

Offer an anti-waste basket with discounted products

To save a meal from going to waste, sell your unsold items at bargain prices. The idea is to offer your dishes / desserts / pastries /etc. at attractive prices (for example at ⅓ of the original price) in order toamortize your losses and act in favor of the planet. 

Launch a commercial offer at a specific time only 

Another anti-waste tip: run a flash offer from a certain time onwards to sell as many of your products as possible before closing time and avoid them ending up in the garbage can.

Offer mystery baskets

Create a surprise basket, or mystery basket, from a set of unsold products still fit for consumption but with a short best-before date. 

👉 Also read: 8 tips to avoid food waste in the restaurant business

The Too Good To Go app to combat food waste 

It's the queen of apps to combat food waste in restaurants. It enables consumers to recuperate unsold food at reduced prices in restaurants and local shops. A source of additional income for the 39,000 restaurant and retail partners registered on the platform! Everything is done via the application, and all the customer has to do is go to the restaurant at the appointed time to pick up his or her anti-waste basket.

Once the restaurateur starts selling unsold goods via Too Good To Go, the app deducts an annual fee and a small commission from each surprise basket sold. 

Too Good To Go is a free app available on iOS and Android.

-

Did you like these tips? Don't hesitate to consult our other articles on our blog to help you develop your business!

Innovorder is the leader in digital solutions for commercial and institutional foodservice. Our team supports restaurateurs in their digital transformation with an all-in-one solution (cash register, kiosk, online ordering, KDS).