How we're waging the war on bar waste
Contributed by on Feb 27, 2019
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With the increasing mountains of rubbish found at our landfills, individuals, businesses and regulators are turning more attention to reducing, reusing and recycling.
Bars are no exception and there is increasing pressure to find a waste management programme and win the war on waste.
Being on top of trends, when done properly is a good route to profitability. The towers of waste for which the hospitality industry is responsible are set to topple, but we have foundations designed to resolve some of the waste problems we are creating.... which may also help your profit margin too!
Problem-solving innovation
Did you know that “the average hospitality operation loses eight to 12 per cent of their food and beverage inventory each week,” according to Restobiz.
And if you think this number only relates to food you might be surprised. In our blog on spotting liquor waste issues, we learnt that “According to Barmetrix, even well run bars regularly lose 10 to 15 percent by volume of every served shot, with poorly run bars losing much more.”
That’s a shocking number by anyone’s measure - not good for waste and not good for your bottom line.
On average 3-5ml is wasted on every shot served, using a standard round jigger
The solution is to be innovative and pay attention to both the large and small ways we waste liquid. Regular inventory checks are one example, but it's important to also look closely at your bar tools.
How are your tools helping you prevent wastage? Uberbartools jiggers are the only measures in the world that feature a trilobial design that prevents a meniscus (the bubble forming on top of a shot) – the subtle cause of liquor wastage in each and every pour, through over-pour and spillages.
And then there's your pourers. Leaky, ill-fitting generic pourers not only cause waste through alcohol leaking,they are also more likely to need replacing regularly.
Sustainability
Which brings us on to sustainability...
Here’s another fact for you: “Pubs polled used an average of about 90,000 straws per year. Across the 6,000 pubs in Australia, that's 540 million straws used by pubs alone.” according to the ABC's War on Waste.
Or to put it another way, straws are a massive problem for the bar industry. And some bars have now either completely done away with straws or are looking to alternatives.
The humble straw, and also its sidekick, the plastic pick and stirrer, are responsible for a lot of damage to the natural environment... and then there are all the generic pourers being thrown away.
We take sustainability seriously, with durable metal alternatives for picks, stirrers and, of course, straws. But we also make our products to last, believing that if you invest in high-quality, fit-for-purpose tools, rather than generic products, you will save money in the long run.
Durable design
Durability is a key part of any war on waste strategy. Nothing will prevent the build up of waste in a business better than products that are built to last, and that are designed with longevity in mind.
Items wear and tear, and sometimes they just need a good dash of cleaning and maintenance. In order to be economical, bar tools should be designed with this in mind.
Run of the mill bar tools might seem low cost – when they wear and tear they’ll be replaced without a second thought, but apart from the obvious environmental impact, this simply isn't a cost efficient strategy.
Instead, make an investment in modular-design bar tools that are built to last, built to be taken apart (and put back together easily) with replaceable parts making it much less disposable.
Take for example the ProCrush with its modular head that can be removed for proper cleaning or replaced when too worn. Back to pourers, our ProFlow pourer also completely disassembles for cleaning and replacing parts and has a SnapOn Protector to keep it clean when not in use.
Build your sustainability strategy on strong foundations and it's much more likely to succeed.
