ReFED estimates manufacturing and consumer-facing businesses (retail and restaurants) account for 41% of surplus food across the supply chain. In North Carolina, these sectors produced about 762,000 tons of surplus food in 2023. Businesses across the state have a significant opportunity to minimize waste and support hunger relief. 

Donating surplus food helps businesses reduce waste, support the community and make a positive impact while staying protected under federal and state laws. Businesses may also be eligible for tax incentives, making food donation more cost effective. For more information about donation, visit Food Donation.

Additionally, every food service establishment must adhere to the North Carolina Food Code. The food code establishes regulations for food safety, handling, and sanitation to protect public health.

Restaurants, Caterers, and Dining Halls

Tab/Accordion Items

  • Conduct a food waste audit to understand how much and what type of waste the restaurant produces.
  • Brainstorm with staff about reduction strategies specific to your business.
  • Learn the difference between pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, and how you can prevent both.
  • Reduce reliance on disposable items, and substitute more sustainable options. See below for more information on compostable products.
  • Consider implementing food waste tracking software.
  • Donate food you will not be able to use

  • Evaluate your inventory.
  • Implement low-waste menus that use repurposed products, left-over ingredients or the whole-product.
  • Use the "first in, first out" (FIFO) system. Place older products at the front of the refrigerator/freezer/pantry, and use them first before using the newest items.
  • Ensure staff know how to reduce waste.
  • Offer staff meals when there are not enough ingredients for a full-service meal or find ways to sell these limited amounts to customers.

  • Control and monitor portion sizes.
  • Take note of each dish's popularity.
  • Support clients taking leftover food home with them.
  • Cook to-order rather than bulk-cooking especially at the end of the day.
  • Eliminate garnishes that frequently go uneaten.
  • Provide samples to customers.
  • Educate customers through signage and menu messaging.
  • Ask customers if they want chips or bread rather than automatically serving them.

Grocery Stores and Food Distributors

Tab/Accordion Items

  • Enlist interested staff members to conduct a food waste audit.
  • Schedule an all-staff meeting to present the audit results and discuss waste reduction strategies.
  • Use the strategies discussed to develop a comprehensive waste reduction plan.
  • Regularly survey staff for feedback on the plan. Incorporating team member input promotes participation and encourages ownership of the efforts.

  • Post signs to inform customers about food waste and how to prevent it.
  • Offer recipes to help use leftovers.
  • Create a discount section to sell bruised or “ugly” produce.

  • Develop a good working relationship with local food banks and pantries to be sure that all eligible food is donated for redistribution.
  • Regularly verify what food is accepted by food rescue partners.
  • Host an event with local restaurants and food rescue organizations to use excess food to prepare meals for food insecure individuals.
  • Work with farmers to ensure all appropriate food can be used for animal feed.
  • Farmers may also accept food waste for composting. If not, a commercial composter can be contracted.

June 25, 2024

Serve Smart: Food Waste Reduction Strategies for NC Dining

Serve Smart Webinar Presentations

Serve Smart webinar - Tips for Restaurants

Tab/Accordion Items

  • Train employees from day one on proper receiving and storage of ingredients.
  • Create and maintain a clean, organized facility where everything has a place.
  • Standardize recipes and procedures, including plating guides/photos.
  • Have a plan for optimal product utilization.
  • Have a contingency plan for when things go awry.

  • Write recipes with accurate yields using line ready pans.
  • Practice Mise en Place: Everything in its place.
  • Create shelf to sheet inventory sheets.
  • Know what you have – inventory every day.
  • Utilize history to make accurate prep calls.

  • Maintain container consistency wherever possible.
  • Formalize labeling: include food name, prep date and time, and discard date and time, then use corresponding labels on shelves in prep coolers, freezers, and pantries.
  • Use the right tool for the job (e.g., spatulas for emptying containers).
  • Keep waste logs to increase order and inventory accuracy.

  • FIFO – First In, First Out inventory management
  • Knife skills
  • Food safety
  • Kitchen organization
  • Zero waste

  • Invest in restaurant software that follows product from arrival to table.
  • Update inventory numbers monthly, and weekly when necessary.
  • Compare actual usage to what is sold through the POS to identify inaccuracies and waste.

Compostable Food Serviceware

Compostable products can help divert waste from the landfill, but not all compostable products are alike. When adopting compostable products for your business, do your research. Many manufacturers claim their products are “green,” but these claims are often misleading.

  • Make sure the products are American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) certified or have a BPI or other facility certification or label and not just generically labeled “compostable.” Find certified compostable products here.
  • Watch out for generic terms like “decomposable,” “degradable,” and “biodegradable.” These terms do not specify in what type of environment the product will degrade, and manufacturers still use traditional polymer materials that may contain additives to potentially promote biodegradation.
  • If a product is made in whole or in part from renewable or biobased resources (like plants), it does not automatically mean that the product can be composted. Remember: everything that is compostable is biodegradable, but not everything that is biodegradable is compostable.
  • Compost and traditional recycling are different. Compost is a form of organics recycling, but compostable materials should not be processed with traditional recycling material like plastic or cardboard.
  • Compostable plastic products should not be added to a non-commercial compost pile unless the label indicates that the product is okay for home composting.
  • Contract with a commercial composter and understand which products they do or do not accept.
  • Partner with nearby businesses to share a compost contract to meet the minimum amount required and to split the cost.
  • Using the proper waste streams – donation, recycling, composting, and landfilling – can also reduce operating costs.

Check out US Compost Council's Compostable Food Serviceware Quick Guide

Find out more by visiting epa.gov and compostingcouncil.org.

Food Donation

NC Green Dining

Waste Reduction Partners

Provide free solid waste reduction assessments for businesses

Off