Three Real-World Examples of How Small Steps Lead to Big Zero-Waste Results
Going zero waste does not mean eliminating waste overnight. Many businesses reach their zero-waste goals by taking small, practical steps that reduce waste over time. Those small changes can add up to major environmental and operational benefits.
At The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, sustainability is becoming part of the company culture.
“The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco is working toward creating a culture of caring about waste,” said James Bernard of Great Forest’s San Francisco office. “A zero-waste mindset is part of that cultural shift toward steadily reducing waste. Managers and staff are engaged in alternative sourcing, innovative recycling techniques, and understanding best practices within San Francisco’s waste management framework.”
As a result, the hotel has introduced changes that reduce waste, improve recycling, and support long-term sustainability goals. Here are three examples of how The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is making progress toward zero waste.
1) Solving a A Fishy Packaging Problem
Fish used to be shipped to restaurants in waxed boxes filled with ice. Over time, many suppliers switched to extruded polystyrene foam, commonly known as Styrofoam, along with cold packs to reduce shipping weight and costs.
The downside is that foam packaging is difficult to recycle and can remain in landfills for hundreds of years. Cold packs are also not recyclable.
When James met with Chef Michael Rotondo at The Ritz-Carlton to discuss the challenge of handling foam fish boxes, the conversation turned to how fish had been shipped in the past. That discussion inspired Chef Rotondo to contact the hotel’s primary West Coast fish supplier and request an alternative to foam packaging.
Today, fish arrives at the hotel in compostable waxed boxes packed with ice instead of foam containers and cold packs. This simple sourcing change has reduced waste and moved the hotel one step closer to its zero-waste goals.
Great Forest has seen similar sourcing improvements at other hospitality properties. While judging the inaugural HANYC Sustainability Awards in 2014, the team learned about a creative solution at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The hotel’s culinary director began ordering pineapples without their crowns because eight pieces of headless pineapples could fit in each shipping carton instead of six. That simple change reduced fresh waste by 1.1 tons over the course of a year.
2) Recycling Plastic Film and Wrap
Pastry operations often generate large amounts of plastic film, overwrap, and other flexible plastics. Many employees assume these materials cannot be recycled.
James showed the pastry team at The Ritz-Carlton that clean, dry plastic film can be recycled in San Francisco if they followed a simple 3 step process:
- Place clean plastic film and wrap into a plastic bag.
- Tie the bag when it reaches the size of a soccer ball.
- Place the knotted plastic bag in the recycling bin.
After James demonstrated the process and posted instructional signs, the pastry team quickly adopted the practice. Today, the team fills multiple bags of recyclable plastic film each day, and new employees are trained on the process as part of onboarding.
This is another example of how small operational changes can keep significant amounts of waste out of landfills.
3) Staying Ahead of Single-Use Plastic Regulations
The Ritz-Carlton also took early action to reduce single-use plastics.
Under former Executive Chef Jason Rea, the hotel introduced reusable metal straws, compostable paper straws, wooden skewers, wooden stir sticks, compostable cups, and a water dispenser in the hotel lobby.
These purchasing decisions put the hotel ahead of San Francisco’s single-use plastic ban ordinance, which took effect July 1, 2019. The ordinance requires items such as straws, stirring sticks, toothpicks, beverage plugs, and cocktail sticks to be plastic-free and made from materials such as paper, bamboo, wood, metal, or fiber.
Small Steps Lead to Big Zero-Waste Results
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is demonstrating that going zero waste does not require massive changes all at once. By rethinking packaging, improving recycling practices, and replacing single-use plastics, the hotel is making measurable progress.
For businesses pursuing zero-waste goals, the lesson is simple: Small steps can lead to meaningful results.
Contact our team today to learn how Great Forest can help your organization move towards zero waste an achieve your sustainability goals. Whether you are striving to achieve TRUE Zero Waste certification or just moving towards more efficient waste management, our proven process simplifies your journey.