Restaurants are Turning Food Waste Into Revenue

The jaws of a shiny, large bin open wide with hunger in chef Mark Normoyle’s major hotel and restaurant complex in Melbourne. Regular feedings of this mechanical beast are fueling savings for both restaurants and the city. The Organic Refuse Conversion Alternative machine, called ORCA by many, is the latest technology to increase sustainability by decreasing waste in the hospitality industry.

Nearly 40 percent of food in the United States is discarded as waste. Common efforts to reduce this include buying food in smaller quantities, careful menu planning, and tracking expiration dates using smart technology. While strategies like these may reduce the amount of food there is to throw away in restaurants, they do not offer green solutions for the food that still must be thrown out.

Instead of sending food to rot in landfills, ORCA machines turn food waste into nutrient-rich water through “aerobic digestion.” By functioning as mechanical digesters, these machines reduce organic waste in landfills, as well as the amount of trash restaurants put out for collection. This reduces waste both by restricting the amount of trash created and by minimizing the energy used up in trash removal and waste management facilities.

ORCA machines have proven so effective and sustainable that many restaurants in New York City are now required to use them. Many other restaurants have also adopted the technology, including Agua Caliente Casino, Vanderbilt University, and several Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

These hotels report significant savings and results. For example, Judy Pines, who works for Hilton directing sustainability initiatives says of Millennium Hilton in New York: “with the digester, the hotel diverts about 7 tons of hotel restaurant organic waste from landfill per month, which results in a cost savings of approximately 18 percent per month.”

Using ORCA machines and other strategies like software for managing inventory efficiently, the restaurant industry is slimming its waste production to yield greater sustainability and savings.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

healthcare cybersecurity
Continued Threats Require a Major Shift in Healthcare Cybersecurity Risk Perception
March 28, 2024

Recent cyberattacks on healthcare institutions have thrust cybersecurity from a back-office concern to the forefront of the healthcare industry’s agenda. A significant breach at Change Healthcare disrupted essential services, underlining the vulnerability of healthcare networks to such threats and the dire consequences for patient care. Government and industry responses have stressed the importance of […]

Read More
next chapter
Keith Elias: Pro Sports Retirement Doesn’t Have to Be a Fumble. NFL’s Support Systems Ease Transition to Next Chapter
March 28, 2024

The spotlight is shifting, we’re not just cheering on professional athletes during their prime, but also wondering what happens when the final whistle blows as they move from the peaks of their careers into the next chapter of their lives. The conversation turns to the challenges they face outside the sporting arena and the […]

Read More
Shaping the Future of Warehouses: Key Takeaways from MODEX 2024
Shaping the Future of Warehouses: Key Takeaways from MODEX 2024
March 28, 2024

As the logistics and material handling sectors pivot towards recovery and innovation, MODEX 2024 emerges as the crucible of transformation. With an attendance spike reminiscent of pre-pandemic vigor—up by 30%—the event has become the epicenter of technological showcases, signaling a new chapter for industry efficiencies. The stakes? A competitive edge in an industry where, […]

Read More
IWCE 2024
Icom Hits Orlando for the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE 2024)
March 28, 2024

Icom America’s Jon Paul Beauchamp was in Orlando, Florida for IWCE 24, the International Wireless Communications Expo. Beauchamp sent greetings from Icom’s Booth, #805. Catch all of the highlights at Icom America.

Read More