(Also be sure to read Part 1 in our "Improve Your Bottom Line" series: Reduce Waste.)

    Reducing your use of paper and plastic disposables is not only environmentally friendly, but cost effective.  I have three suggestions to reduce your weekly purchase of disposable products.  Replace paper towels with hand dryers, replace paper or plastic disposable cups with reusable plastic cups and replace paper baskets with plastic baskets. 

    Replacing paper towels with hand dryers is cost effective, sanitary, and environmentally friendly.  Hand dryers’ initial cost is relatively low at $160 - $300, and they recoup their cost in less than a year.  Most hand dryers are available in either 115V or 208/230V so they are easy to install.  Touchless hand dryers are more sanitary than paper towels and can be used in both the bathrooms and at hand washing stations.  In the “Additional Links” section below is a report on the benefits of hand dryers, including environmental and economic impacts.

    Many restaurants rely heavily on disposable products because of convenience.  Disposables can be a life saver during peak times, but they are very expensive compared to reusable products. Replacing disposable plastic cups and trays with reusable plastics has a relatively low up-front cost and requires little additional labor expense.

Restaurants that use plastic, paper, or foam cups can replace those expensive products with reusable plastics.  Quality disposable cups can cost in excess of $50 per case compared to about $10- $20 per dozen for reusable plastic drinkware.  Since most plastic drinkware is dishwasher safe, the additional labor expense is minimal.  Customers will appreciate the increase in quality and improved environmental impact.

    Replace your paper food baskets with polypropylene baskets and add profit back to your bottom line.  Quality microwave-, heat lamp-, and dishwasher-safe baskets cost about $10 per dozen.  You will still want to use a basket liner, but they are a fraction of the $30 per case paper basket price.  Customers also like the plastic basket’s more rigid structure over a flimsy paper basket.  Most baskets are available in several color options to improve the presentation of the food.

Finding ways to reduce one time use products and replacing them with reusable products not only saves you money, but improves the quality of the product, reduces storage space requirements, and improves the environment.  If you have any tips or if you have tried any of the above ideas successfully, email your stories to us at servusales@servu-online.com and we will add them to this blog.  Thank you for your patronage.

Sincerely,

Chad Hemming

Vice President of Marketing

Additional Links:

World Dryer: Hand Dryers vs Paper Towels