Responsible Restaurant Movement Expects Support to Turn Waste Food into Food and Fertilizer!

 Sustainability is no longer an option, it is a necessity all over the world. Because global warming, water and soil pollution, food waste; are some of the most important problems facing the world. Implemented with the awareness of protecting the resources of future generations “Responsible Restaurant Movement” continues to work for sustainability. newly launched “Food Waste Cycle” The project aims to end food waste. In this context, the waste from the restaurants within the formation is sent to the compost facility and turned into fertilizer and food. The project aims to reduce and eliminate food waste in restaurants in a sustainable manner.

Call for All Restaurants to Participate in the Food Waste Cycle

While the project was announced with the launch held in Köşebaşı Levent on May 22, all restaurants were called to prevent food waste and to return waste to our planet by turning it into food and fertilizer. Speaking at the launch Serkan Tüfek, CEO of Akkol Catering Group, “This issue is very important to us. We invested more than 50 million TL in a four-year period. This will get bigger. We will provide training to companies that want to be involved in the formation and teach them how to differentiate the product. Then, we will send that waste to compost, turn it into food or fertilizer, and send the products back to the restaurants to distribute to their guests free of charge. "We are working to make our future safe and we want support from all restaurants for this," he said.

Stating that they aim to grow the Responsible Restaurant Movement Akkol Catering Group CQO Elif Üngör He said, “We want more restaurants, hotels, restaurants and businesses to join this movement. In 2023, there was 213 kilograms of food waste per person in Turkey. This has increased by 40 percent in the last two years. In a world where consumption is so high, we need to stop waste. That's why we are very keen to voluntarily explain the Food Waste Cycle to all restaurants and include them in it. "We think we will do this with your support," he said.

Also for the launch Akkomarka Restaurant Group Honorary President Ali Akkaş, Akkomarka Restaurant Group and Akkol Catering Group board members Volkan Akkaş ve Okan Akkaş, with artist and animal lover Perihan Savaş HAYTAP President Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat also participated.

Distributed Free of Charge

Within the scope of "Food Waste Cycle", Responsible Restaurant Movement participants Köşebaşı, Ken Sushi, Yamo Sushi, Snob Street Food, Ali Ocakbaşı, Perihan Meyhane, Ristorante Umberto, Akkol Catering, Traditional Lezzetler Durağı, Allday Artisan Catering, Deli Toastry, Deli Kitchen and The waste from restaurants of Safderun brands is separated, packaged and sent to the compost facility with an electric food waste collection vehicle. Here, waste is transformed into fertilizer and pet food, which is distributed free of charge to guests in restaurants. In addition, the food produced will contribute to the nutrition of 2 thousand little friends per month by providing food support to animal shelters in cooperation with HAYTAP. Fertilizers are shared with farmers in Istanbul within the scope of the aim of supporting local producers, which has an important place among the sustainability strategies of the Responsible Restaurant Movement.

Small Changes Can Make Big Differences

The Responsible Restaurant Movement aims to make small changes in the habits of both employees and the 2,5 million guests hosted every year, and to make big differences with these small changes. For this reason, it is planned to reach as many brands as possible in the sector.

As the first leg of the "Food Waste Cycle" project implemented by the Responsible Restaurant Movement, preventive training was given to the personnel to reduce food waste in the purchasing and production stages with the principle of "Reduce at Source". More than 1000 employees were trained by academics on sustainability and food waste. In addition, as a result of the measurement study, food waste consisting of side dishes, which constitute the most waste returned from guests, were served according to preference and was reduced by 35 percent at the source.

With the principle of "Encourage Re-Consumption", customers are tried to be encouraged to re-consume in order to prevent waste on the table and it is recommended to package the food left on the table. With the "Recycle" process, which is the last step of the Food Waste Cycle, the remaining food waste is converted into fertilizer and animal food in the compost facility of the Responsible Restaurant Movement and distributed free of charge to guests at all restaurants and businesses participating in the movement. In addition, thousands of our little friends are fed healthily, thanks to the organic food delivered to the cooperative shelters and prepared by performing all laboratory tests and nutritional analyses.

Responsible Restaurant Movement continues its work to raise awareness so that resources are used as much as necessary, not just nominally, as a matter of responsibility towards the future and children.

Source: HORECA Trend and Responsible Restaurant Movement