 |
|
BAR AND RESTAURANT RECYCLING CASE STUDY: |
ELMO'S DINER |
| Recycling Since: |
early 1990s |
| Type of facility: |
casual family restaurant, American dinner cuisine, three meals daily, breakfast all the time, beer and wine |
| Serves: |
6,000 a week |
| Recycles: |
cardboard, plastic and glass bottles and jugs, metal cans and newspapers |
| Average cost of service: |
container recycling $140 for 1 pick-up/week; cardboard $50 for 1 pick-up/week; trash $300/month for 2 pick-ups week*
*cost of trash collection would increase if recycling was eliminated
|
|
 |
Elmo’s Diner has two locations and both have recycled from the start. While the city collects recycling from the Carrboro location, the Durham location has been open 10 years and contracts for recycling service on its own. A combination of economic and philosophical drivers encouraged Elmo’s to start recycling. The restaurant generates a great deal of recyclable materials, especially plastic milk jugs. Even when crushed, the jugs take up considerable space. Management supports recycling and finds that it definitely reduces the number of garbage pickups they have to pay for weekly. |
Employees put recyclables in one location inside and take them to the bins behind the restaurant at the end of their shift. Containers are rinsed in a separate location and employees are encouraged to take materials out as needed to avoid overflows. Sorting has improved with practice, but container crushing is still a challenge due to time limitations. If containers aren’t crushed, there is not enough room in the bins for a week’s worth of recyclables.
Elmo’s purchased seven outdoor recycling bins from their hauler, using roughly three to four for plastic, two for metal and one for newspaper, all collected once a week. The restaurant even makes a concerted effort to recycle products customers bring to the restaurant, like newspapers. Elmo’s also recycles all of its cardboard boxes. |
 |
 |
Employees are shown the recycling location on their first-day tour and told what is and is not recyclable. Management says not much effort is involved. Cammie explained, “servers have duties to perform at the end of each shift and one set of duties includes taking the recycling out. I don’t think it is a favorite duty, but our staff is environmentally concerned.”
|
August 2007
For a PDF of this case study, click here.
|
