Conservation initiatives for restaurants
The following strategies will assist during the current reduced energy climate, but should be adopted for continued conservation of resources and money saving.
Short-term initiatives
Energy consumption
• Turn off any unnecessary lighting in non-essential areas. E.g. lights in the kitchen and back offices are turned off when not in use
• Open blinds in winter, this allows natural sunlight in. This will help reduce the amount of artificial lighting needed, saving you energy
• Turn off heating and air-conditioning in non-essential areas
• Set the temperature on the thermostat of winter heating at a maximum of 21.5 Degrees and for summer cooling no lower than 23.5 Degrees.
• Switch off kitchen appliances overnight or when not in use such as hot water heaters, gas hot plates and dishwashers
• Ensure all computers, photocopiers and other office equipment are switched off at the wall when not in use
• Make sure entrance doors close and seal correctly. When they do not, cool or heated air escapes
• Clean and maintain equipment. Clean equipment runs more efficiently.
• Do not use oversized fridges if a smaller one is available. Eg. a 400-litre fridge used to store a carton of milk is wasteful and expensive to run.
• Temperature set points should be between 3ºC to 4ºC for refrigerators and freezers at -15ºC to -18ºC, and
• Check that fridge doors seal properly (the seals should hold a piece of paper in place when the fridge door is closed).
Laundry
• Ask staff to launder their own uniforms, and
• Replace table cloths and linen serviettes with paper products where possible.
Water
• Sweep or blow sidewalks and parking lots clean rather than hose them off with water,
• Ask guests if they would like water instead of automatically serving it, and
• Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full.
Paper
• Print menus on recycled or unbleached paper.
Long-term and general initiatives
Energy conservation
• Replace traditional exit signs with LED exit lighting
• Install motion detectors for lighting
• Install energy efficient lighting
• Install energy curtains in freezer rooms
• Use high efficiency refrigerators and dishwashers
• Make energy efficiency a criteria when purchasing new kitchen and office equipment
• Keep newer refrigerators and freezes filled. Empty and disconnect older ones, and
• Clean refrigerator and freezer condense coils every three months. Replace or repair cracked or warped refrigerator or freezer gaskets or hinges.
Water conservation
• Set irrigation systems on timers, only water within restrictions
• Use grey water in the garden
• Install a rainwater tank (where appropriate)
• Landscape using drought tolerant plants, they need less water
• Compost food scraps, this can be used in the garden to keep moisture in the soil
• Install low-flow toilets and waterless urinals. If you can’t replace existing toilets, adjust the flush valves
• Turn off taps when not in use, fix leaking taps and install water efficient/low-flow taps
• Install a water efficient dishwasher
• Fix toilets that run water between flushes
• Ensure all water pipes are sealed, fix leaks and make your plumber's contact details easy to find in all areas of the workplace
• Check the water pressure needed for your workplace to function efficiently - reduce pressure if it is excessive, insulate hot water pipes to avoid wasting water and energy while waiting for hot water to flow through, and
• Insulate the ceiling, your air-conditioning will use less water in the cooling tower and save on energy use.
Recycling
• Waste kitchen oil can be collected and recycled by a local organisation
• Recycle glass or plastics from the bar, and
• Use recycled, compostable and bio degradable products.
Keep your staff and management up-to-date with water and energy conservation initiatives
Look around your restaurant and identify ways that you could save energy and water
(Source: National Restaurant Association; Australian Hotels Association; Australian Auto Clubs)