Survey: Nearly Two-Thirds of Restaurant Operators Have Recycling Programs

Compiled by the Waste Age staff

 Sixty-five percent of restaurant operators have recycling programs in their facilities, according to a recently released survey by the National Restaurant Association and Georgia Pacific Professional.

The most frequently recycled materials in restaurants are paper and cardboard, according to the survey: 85 percent of operators with programs in place recycle those items. By contrast, only 28 percent of the respondents with recycling programs recycle food waste.

The survey also found that 60 percent of consumers prefer to patronize a restaurant that recycles instead of one that doesn’t.

“Sustainability is more than a fad,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the National Restaurant Association’s Research and Knowledge Group, in a press release. “It’s the new way of doing business in the restaurant industry. Our research found that a majority of consumers prefer to patronize restaurants with recycling programs, and restaurants are following suit to ensure they meet their customers’ expectations.”

RELATED RESOURCES:

• The full survey

• "New Research Shows Majority of Restaurateurs Have Recycling Programs, Consumers Prefer to Visit Restaurants That Recycle" (press release)