Objective :
Zero Waste

If you work in the food sector, whether in a retail outlet or in the hotel, restaurant or institutional sector (or ‘HRI’ for those in the know), you deal with food waste on a daily basis.

This aspect, which is sometimes overlooked in calculations, can represent considerable hidden costs (which can run into thousands of dollars), as well as having an impact on the environment. Waste is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, since the decomposition of organic matter mainly emits methane, a gas 25 times more potent than CO2’.

What if we told you that you could kill two birds with one stone?

Minimise your environmental impact AND maximise your financial resources ?

How do you do it? In three easy steps.

Diagnosis, action plan and results.

That’s how one of our customers, a major catering service that received support from our Perte Zéro service, managed to reduce its losses by 14%, representing around $56,000.

Impressive, isn’t it? Let’s take a closer look at how he did it.

Once upon a time, the iceberg

Our client, Roméo Traiteur, serves around 400,000 portions a year.

When the general manager, let’s call him Charles, came to us, he had already tried a number of solutions to reduce waste, albeit with limited results. Like many others, he was in a bind, seeing too many financial resources disappear into losses, as well as an increase in the cost of his raw materials (hello inflation), but unable to maintain the same level of quality without increasing his prices. How is this possible?

Because Charles, in all his efforts, had attacked the tip of the iceberg.

This tip refers to all those little things that are important, but are not enough on their own to achieve the most significant results. We’re talking, for example, about leftovers, under-used parts of food and plate returns and leftovers.

The most powerful levers for reducing financial losses and food waste at source therefore lie in the submerged part of the iceberg. These include stock management (including inventory, ordering and planning), and staff training, awareness-raising and communication.

And why didn’t Charles tackle this? Because, like many people in his position, he’s short of time and his team is very busy.

So that’s where Perte Zero comes in !

Diagnostic : 

Thanks to an in-depth analysis of the operations, we have been able to identify and point out to Charles problems that may at first sight seem invisible, but which are crucial. Here are a few examples:

• A lack of fluid, clear and effective communication, making information sharing sometimes incomplete and stock management difficult, leading to errors in quantities when ordering and preparing;

• Preservation : excessive setting up of buffets for large events and excess quantities of heated portions, resulting in unrecoverable portions afterwards.

Action Plan

Following the various diagnostics, we offered Charles several suggestions for actions to be implemented with a view to optimising operations :

• Reusing leftovers : Since Roméo Traiteur works with standardised menus, it was easy to find ways of reusing leftovers without changing everything, and to train staff to adapt quickly.
• Rethinking the management of the buffet on site : Revising planning and production with more precise calculations, and generating a history of leftovers for greater predictability. Also, a physical logistical overhaul to reheat fewer portions with smaller gourmets during the final refills of the buffet.
• Implementation of a better communication system: Since Charles was already using the Gmail messaging system with his employees, we suggested that he additionally integrate the GoogleChat™ internal communication service, an application that can be used for free on a phone. It has improved communication between employees and different levels of managers. In addition, setting up an #antigaspi discussion channel allows everyone to highlight good work and share good practice.
• Overhaul of information management: To improve the management of inventories and orders, we worked with Charles to create a file model including a standardised table, which managers now use in paper form to transmit information. We have also introduced better use of whiteboards in the kitchen. Finally, we set up a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) table, which can be summarised as a ‘matrix of responsibilities’.. 
  

Results

Just over four months later, in concrete terms, 14% of waste has been avoided following the implementation of these changes, which will represent, according to a quick calculation, an annual saving of $56,000.

The indirect, but equally positive, impacts also count :

• A great deal of commitment from staff, who are now an integral part of the solution.
• Reduced waste management costs.
• A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• A stronger employer brand image among staff thanks to the implementation of concrete solutions to limit food waste. These initiatives are particularly well-suited to the needs of the younger generation, who make up a large proportion of our workforce.

Charles, delighted with all these gains, wants to take advantage of the wind of change blowing through the company. Having already identified other levers, he is even planning a second phase of support, this time involving Perte Zéro directly at the action plan stage.

The mission is having an impact!

Take a step back to move forward

Roméo Traiteur could have increased its prices and concentrated on the tip of the iceberg. However, Charles sought to understand what lay beneath the surface, enabling him to achieve concrete and sustainable results, tailored to the company’s structure.

He felt the need to bring in an outside perspective to help him see things more clearly and gain a better perspective on the situation. If you can, identify your own iceberg by analysing your practices to find those famous hidden levers.

At La Transformerie, our experience and pathways have given us a thorough understanding of the realities of food businesses, so we can offer you our Perte Zéro service. This flexible support can be provided at any stage of the process, from helping you identify your levers to transforming them into realistic, sustainable solutions.

To find out how Perte Zéro can help you, please contact us at schedule a free discovery call of thirty minutes, where we take the time to discuss your current challenges and explore possible solutions tailored to your needs.

Whether or not you decide to go ahead with Perte Zéro, a call can still produce some interesting ideas that you can take away with you!

Because reducing your losses and reducing your environmental impact is a win-win situation!