Sorting waste in your kitchen: a must!
Sorting waste in professional kitchens, whether in restaurants outside the home, school canteens, businesses, self-service restaurants, train stations, airports... has become an obligation.
This obligation allows for the management of the flow of different types of waste and, above all, for the differentiation between food, cardboard packaging, plastic , etc., so that each is recovered and no longer treated in a "massive" way with significant costs and a constantly increasing environmental impact.
The Agec law relating to the circular economy and responsible supply should lead to producing less waste, better sorting, better collection, reuse and recycling more.
Regarding biowaste, in view of the 2024 law , it is now imperative to think about sorting food waste at the source.
Voussert offers in its range of HACCP professional kitchen bins for catering professionals a range of bins dedicated to selective sorting for different waste streams and this at the best prices on the market because directly sourced from global manufacturers.
Where are kitchen bins for professionals manufactured?
The vast majority are manufactured in Asia, especially plastic products. There are also factories in Turkey, but the general rule is that anything plastic is much cheaper to produce in those countries than in France or other European countries.
However, if you opt for steel, stainless steel, or epoxy-coated steel, manufacturers like Rossignol produce part of their range in France . The price is, of course, higher than some imported products, but you will need to compare the quality and durability of the product.
What size bin should I get?
The range of kitchen bins designed for selective sorting is offered in several sizes to meet the requirements of space and volumes of waste to be received.
The 30-litre bin is the most compact bin with a reduced footprint of less than 45 cm in height, allowing it to fit under low furniture or worktops.
If you have more height available, with 60 cm, the 45-litre bin remains a good compromise.
The 60 / 70 / 90 litre volumes require a larger space but will guarantee you greater autonomy for waste collection.
It is within this framework that Voussert offers you a wide range in several dimensions allowing you to find the necessary and suitable size for your restaurant kitchen and preparation areas.
What type of bin bag should I use?
To facilitate waste removal, using a bin bag appropriate for each volume is essential. For plastic, packaging, and paper waste, which are primarily bulky but not very heavy, you can opt for high-density or low-density PE bin bags with a thickness of 25 to 35 microns. However, for volumes exceeding 70 liters, a thicker bag will be necessary, especially for food waste, which is significantly heavier. Using colored bin bags is only useful if you want to take sorting to the point of color-coded bags.
Kitchen bin: no contact required, hygiene first!
This entire recycling line adheres to the rule and is of course equipped with a
foot-operated opening mechanism to avoid any contact between hands and the bin.
Hygiene remains a top priority, especially in the kitchen, which is inherently a sensitive area. Cleaning and disinfecting the waste bin must be carried out regularly
as part of the HACCP procedures implemented for the establishment. This can be done using a
central cleaning system and a disinfectant detergent.
How to organize waste sorting in your restaurant kitchen?
The organization must be based on the flows you need to process, within the limits of your available space and the volumes involved.
Here is a list of bins or containers that you can put in place:
Yellow bin for plastic recycling: In this stream you will find clean beverage bottles, food trays, pots and containers, cleaning product bottles.
Generally, a bin with a yellow lid or identification via signage placed on the bin may also be sufficient to meet the demand.
This is the most common type of waste bin in your kitchen because food preparation generates a lot of plastic packaging, cardboard, etc.
And what about sorting food (disposable tableware, paper, food in the dining area for the public)?
Selective waste sorting in restaurants is also mandatory and is an extension of the sorting you do in your own kitchen. Therefore , a solution must be implemented, particularly in self-service and fast-food establishments, to assist customers when disposing of their waste. Managing the various types of waste generated during table service and/or in fast-food restaurants is now a significant trend and has become mandatory for large restaurant chains.
There is no doubt that making available to the public systems for collecting different waste streams in public or private catering spaces will be the benchmark.
Rossignol has developed collection islands that you can configure according to the streams to be sorted (food, disposable tableware, paper, etc.).
You will find this entire range in the restaurant recycling bin section.
Recycling bin on wheels: ideal for large volumes
To facilitate waste collection and transport, some kitchen recycling bins are equipped with wheels. This allows employees to easily move full containers to the waste storage or collection area. In a kitchen, where waste can be quite heavy, this mobile option improves ergonomics.
Models on casters offer great mobility and can be positioned in different places in the kitchen as needed.
However, they are generally only available on 90, 100, or 110-liter models. These wheels can be optional, as on our imported plastic bin line, or they can be fitted as standard on Rossignol-type collectors.
Indeed, putting wheels on a 30cm high bin offers no ergonomic advantage!
Recycling bin to be integrated into your kitchen fittings
For seamless integration into your restaurant or institutional kitchen, consider built-in recycling bins. These models are designed to be integrated into cabinetry or worktops, offering an aesthetically pleasing solution and optimizing available space.
Built-in bins keep recycling containers out of sight while remaining easily accessible to staff. Manufacturers like Rossignol typically offer easily integrated units; the solution is to design the furniture to complement the chosen bin design and model.
What size bin should I put under a worktop?
If your kitchen is short on space, you can opt for compact 30-liter or 45-liter models. These models, often narrow and shallow, fit perfectly into corners and tight spaces. Their reduced height—44 cm for the 30-liter model and 60 cm for the 45-liter model—allows them to fit under some countertops.
Although of more limited capacity, compact bins still allow for efficient collection of different types of waste.
Personalizing your bins
For seamless integration into your professional kitchen, you also have the option of customizing your recycling bins. Whether it's in terms of colors, patterns, or markings, you can have them made to measure so they harmonize with your establishment's design.
This option allows you to strengthen your company's brand image while facilitating waste sorting.