Reduce restaurant food waste: rules, measurement and practical steps

How do you reduce food waste in a restaurant?

Waste is a hidden cost. It is on no invoice, but it is in every kilo of meat bought then binned, in the hours spent preparing food that is never served, and in the cost of collecting your waste. Cutting it is money back in your pocket first.

This guide is part of our Run a restaurant series. It goes with our guide to restaurant inventory management, which covers stock counts, rotation and date labels. The legal points refer to France.

Is food waste sorting mandatory for restaurants in France?

Yes. According to the French Ministry for the Ecological Transition, restaurants have been concerned since 2012, first above certain tonnages, then with thresholds lowered step by step. Since 1 January 2024, food and garden waste sorting is general: it applies to every business and household, with no minimum threshold.

A restaurant’s food waste is mainly peelings, trimmings, plate waste and out-of-date products. It must be kept apart from other waste and recovered, by composting or anaerobic digestion. The ministry lists two main solutions:

• separate collection: a dedicated bin for food waste, collected separately (ask your town hall or local authority, or a private waste contractor);
• local composting, on site if you have outdoor space, or in a shared composter.

• A labelled food waste bin in the kitchen, next to the prep station.
• A second one at the dishwashing station, for plate waste.
• A sign showing what goes in and what does not (packaging, glass, plastic).
• A written collection arrangement, with its collection days.

Do you have to give guests a box for their leftovers?

In France, yes. The Ministry of Agriculture states that restaurants must provide, when the guest asks, a container to take uneaten food home. The EGALIM law, cited by Service Public Entreprendre, requires these containers to be reusable or recyclable.

Beyond the rule, guests appreciate it. To make it work smoothly:

• Always keep a stock of boxes suitable for hot dishes and desserts.
• Train the team to offer it simply: “Would you like me to box that up for you?”
• Mention it on the menu or a small table card, so guests feel free to ask.
• Count the cost of boxes in your variable costs, like takeaway packaging.

Couldn’t finish? Ask us for a box: we’ll be happy to wrap up your dish.

If guests often leave half of the same dish, that is a signal: the portion may be too big. See below.

How do you measure food waste in your restaurant?

You only cut well what you measure. The simplest method: weigh your food waste for one normal week, separating three sources.

1. Prep: peelings, trimmings, damaged or out-of-date products.
2. Plate waste: what guests leave.
3. Overproduction: food prepared but not sold (specials, desserts, sides).

Three buckets, a scale, one sheet. Write down the weight at the end of each service.

Date | Service (lunch / dinner) | Prep (kg) | Plate waste (kg) | Overproduction (kg) | Covers | Notes

Fictional example: in one week, 18 kg of prep waste, 25 kg of plate waste and 12 kg of overproduction, so 55 kg for 300 covers, about 183 g per cover. Here, plate waste weighs most: look at portions and the menu before orders.

Weigh again three months after your changes. The figure per cover lets you compare, even if trade has changed.

Involve the whole team from the first day. Explain why you are weighing, show the sheet, and share the results at the end of the week. When the kitchen and the dining room see the same numbers, ideas come from both sides: a server notices which dish keeps coming back half eaten, a cook suggests a better use for trimmings.

What practical steps cut waste?

Pick your actions according to the main source of your waste.

Bookings help cut waste

The better you know in advance how many guests you will have, the more accurate your orders and prep. Encouraging bookings and reducing no-shows directly helps you produce less for nothing.

The menu

A short menu that shares ingredients across dishes limits waste. Our guide to restaurant menu design explains how to build one, and the guide to food cost shows how to cost each dish including waste.

• Every morning, a walk round the fridges to spot items near their date.
• A daily special designed to use them.
• A check weigh-in every quarter.
• A short team briefing on the numbers: everyone sees the effort and the result.

Can you donate surplus food to a charity?

Yes, if you follow a few rules. The Service Public Entreprendre page on unsold goods explains that the obligation to offer donations applies to large-scale catering (over 3,000 meals a day or €50 million in turnover). For an ordinary restaurant in France, donating is voluntary. When you do donate, these rules apply:

• The donation goes to a charity authorised to provide food aid.
• An agreement is signed with it before the first donation. Donating without one is an offence.
• You set up a quality plan for donations: what you give, how it is stored and transported.
• Food is labelled: use-by date if very perishable, batch number, allergens.

Donations made under the rules may qualify for a tax reduction as corporate giving, for businesses subject to income tax or corporation tax. Ask your accountant how to calculate it and which records to keep.

In practice, contact a local branch of a food aid charity or your town hall: they know which products they can accept, and when. Food already served at the table is never donated.

Should you tell guests about your anti-waste efforts?

Yes, if the effort is real and you can show it. Many guests care about waste, and a concrete approach gives them one more reason to choose you. Stay factual and avoid grand promises.

• A “zero waste” daily special that uses the week’s produce.
• A photo of the team weighing waste, with the result after three months.
• The partnership with the charity you donate to, with their agreement.
• A line on the menu: “A box for your leftovers? Just ask.”

This week, our daily special uses the vegetables and trimmings from our prep: nothing is lost, everything gets cooked. Come and try it at lunch!

To plan your posts over the year, see our guide to the restaurant marketing plan.

The restaurant owner’s guide

Open, run, grow: each stage has its full guide and detailed guides, with their reading time.

This guide for your trade

• Restaurants
• Bakeries
• Bars

Go further

• Run a restaurant: the complete guide
• Restaurant inventory management
• Restaurant menu design
• Food cost and menu pricing
• Instagram post ideas for restaurants