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Waste Management Tips: 2 Cost-Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Your Seasonal Catering Scraps

14 September 2015

Micheal Wagner

With the holiday season fast approaching, finding new cost-effective ways to get rid of your catering scraps won't be easy. But with the right waste management plan in place, you can make it happen. Waste management strategies, such as recycling and gardening, reduces the amount of refuse your catering business experiences each holiday season without hitting your spending budget. Here are two ways to get rid of your seasonal catering scraps the right way.

Recycle Your Scraps in a Garden

If you haven't done so already, it's a good idea to recycle some of your organic scraps in a garden. Organic material, such as raw potato skins, rotten tomatoes and even moldy bread, make wonderful natural fertilizers for a vegetable garden. However, knowing how to recycle your organic scraps is essential.

One of the things you can do during catering season is set aside an area in your freezer for your food scraps. You don't want to leave them out in the kitchen because the decaying food can attract fruit flies, gnats and rodents. In addition, you maintain and protect the vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients in your vegetable and fruit scraps, which your garden needs to grow healthy food.

When it's time to plant your garden, thaw your scraps inside the refrigerator overnight instead of on the kitchen counter to avoid the problems mentioned above. Next, follow the steps below:

1. Purchase topsoil from a recycling company or home and garden store. Topsoil contains extra nutrients, such as minerals and decomposed tree roots, that your garden needs for good plant and vegetable growth.
2. Place your topsoil and thawed scraps in a large container, then mix the ingredients together to form your organic soil.
3. Remove the top layer of soil from your gardening with a shovel or rake. You want to place your organic soil over a cleaned surface for the best benefits.
4. Pour the organic soil over your garden, then use a hoe to mix it with the soil over your cleaned surface.
5. Plant your vegetable seeds in the new soil, then water your garden every other day to keep the location moist and healthy.

Once the vegetables sprout or grow, place mulch over the surfaces surrounding the plants to keep them moist. Repeat steps 2-4 to recycle your food scraps as often as you need to do so.

If you have catering scraps you can't use for your garden, you'll need to take other steps to get rid of them.

Recycle Your Scraps With Garbage Disposal Services

If you have leftover cooking fats and oils from your catering business, schedule curbside pickup services for your garbage disposal. A waste management company provide refuse containers, such as bins, for your items. The bins feature the waste management symbol and come in various sizes to fit your needs. However, you may need to take extra steps or precautions when it comes to storing and securing your fats and oils until pickup.

You can use large coffee cans or milk jugs made with tin or plastic to store and protect your fats and oils because both materials are recyclable. Now, follow the steps below:

• First, wait until your fats and oils cool completely. Don't place hot items in any container, or they can explode or catch fire.
• Next, use a strainer to remove meat particles and crumbs from the cooled fats and oils. You can place the pieces of meat and crumbs in your garden later.
• Finally, pour the cooled items in your containers, secure them with lids and store them in the freezer until pickup day.

A waste management company can help you choose a schedule that works better with your catering company. If you have questions about the sizes and prices of your pickup bins, contact the waste management company immediately.

Getting through your catering company's busiest season isn't as difficult as you think. If you need additional ideas on how to recycle your food scraps, call your waste management company for more details. You can also click here for more information about waste management services in your area. 

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