Green dining: How your restaurant's composting program can attract eco-conscious customers

The dining landscape is changing. Today's customers aren't just looking for great food – they're increasingly making dining choices based on environmental sustainability. Composting is an easy way to illustrate to customers your business’ eco-friendly practices.  For restaurants in our region, it’s even easier to partner with Winton Manufacturing Compost Works.  Winton offers curbside service for your business, so that you may meet your customers desires to “do good”  while positively impacting the environment.

“We were excited to start using Winton Manufacturing’s food composting service because it was the right thing to do. We've become very well known for our in-house made apple strudels so, we produce a large amount of apple peels - daily. It’s also been a sustainable solution for our coffee grounds, green pepper cores, onion skins, eggshells, and even our to-go breakfast containers from our breakfasts”, said Linda Black, General manager of Obertal Inn.

The Business Case for Restaurant Composting

Implementing a composting program does more than just reduce waste. It can:

• Lower waste management costs
• Create positive brand recognition
• Attract environmentally conscious customers
• Demonstrate community leadership
• Provide marketing opportunities

Making the Transition

Winton Manufacturing Compost Works makes it simple for restaurants to begin composting. Their state-of-the-art facility, housed in a repurposed sawmill, processes food scraps and organic waste into high-quality compost. They provide the necessary bins, regular curbside pickup service, and staff training support to ensure a smooth transition.

“On day one of the composting service we asked the City of Leavenworth to remove our second trash container that was receiving daily pick ups. Winton Mfg has been an active partner aiding in our transition to the correct products and supplying information to train our employees with. For anyone interested in making the switch, it's easiest to just commit completely and implement strong changes at the beginning”, explained Mia Abbett, CEO/Owner of Munchen Haus in Leavenworth.

The Winton Manufacturing staff provides one-on-one customer service, from your first on-site evaluation of a food waste recycling program for your business to support with design, training, and education materials including posters and labels to put customers into the right-sized container level for the volume of compostables your business generates.

Your food waste recycling program should reflect the amount of food waste generated while helping you to minimize excess landfill waste costs. Working with other restaurants has helped owners highlight ways in which they could reduce excess food waste loss and reduce preparation costs, saving the business more money.

Abbett continues by saying “ Participating in the commercial composting with Winton Mfg has allowed our business to reduce our daily landfill contributions by well over 70% since beginning in 2022.  We were able to immediately reduce our landfill amount by 50% and we've increased that waste reduction steadily over time.”

Food waste isn’t just in the preparation of food in the kitchen, it is also the leftover food on customer’s plates. Restaurants know how to use food well and most times there is little excess in the preparation. When thinking about your compost recycling program at your business, think about the customer's plates that you scrape into the garbage bin as the first place to capture compostable materials.

PULL OUT BOX “We removed all customer-facing waste receptacles which allows our employees to sort all waste as it is received. This is much simpler and less time-consuming than trying to sort already filled bins and check for contamination. Once you realize how much really can be commercially composted and you've transitioned disposables to approved products, the sorting step is smooth and simple, especially in the restaurant industry”, Said Mia Abbott, CEO/Owner of Munchen Haus.

Winton aims to provide continued one-on-one customer service from the first time a business contacts them through the lifetime of that business's food waste recycling program. Winton believes that as a customer, your restaurant becomes a partner in the region's sustainability. Winton highlights those efforts by providing cross-marketing and data for your business to share with potential and current customers. 

Marketing Your Green Initiative

Restaurants that compost have multiple opportunities to showcase their environmental commitment:

• Menu notations about their composting program
• Table tents explaining environmental impact
• Social media content highlighting green practices
• Website features about sustainability efforts
• Staff sharing sustainability stories with customers

Environmental Impact

By diverting organic waste from landfills, restaurants contribute to significant environmental benefits. Organic waste processed at Winton's facility doesn't generate methane in landfills and instead becomes valuable compost that enriches local soil. Your restaurant's food waste once turned into compost is used in local orchards, community gardens, homeowners landscapes and in public parks. Together with businesses participating in food waste recycling, we can all produce tomorrow's soils for the region.

Steps to Get Started

1. Contact Winton Manufacturing Compost Works for an initial consultation
2. Winton will assess your restaurant's current waste stream through an audit period
3. Winton can help design your collection system for ease of use by employees
4. Winton will help you train staff on new procedures

Linda Black of Obertal Inn shared, “The process [of composting] has become a natural part of our operations, and our team is proud to contribute to reducing waste.”

While there is an initial investment in starting a composting program, many restaurants find that the combination of reduced waste management costs and increased customer support makes it financially beneficial.

As environmental consciousness continues to grow, restaurants adopting composting programs will be ahead of the curve. They'll attract today's eco-conscious diners and be prepared for future regulations regarding organic waste disposal.

Ready to enhance your restaurant's environmental profile while attracting conscious consumers? Contact Winton Manufacturing Compost Works to learn how your restaurant can join the growing number of local establishments that are making a difference through composting.