Preventing Energy and Water Wastage

The Guide on Energy Efficiency in Commercial Kitchens, is edited and produced by the Catering for a Sustainable Future Group in association with CIBSE, the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers.

It outlines key areas for taking action to achieve significant energy reductions and cost savings from foodservice facilities.

The guide highlights how equipment becomes less energy efficient over time. Without maintenance, it also has a shorter working life, meaning higher disposal and life-cycle costs. After months of use, that new combination oven will probably be using more energy to produce the same food.

This may be because the door seal may have split, allowing steam and heat to escape, the heating element may have become coated in scale, increasing the time and energy needed to heat the water; or the thermostat probe may be out of calibration leading to inefficient cooking.

Another problem could be uneven or yellow flames from the burner inside a gas oven which are often signs that the burners need cleaning and/or adjustment of the air shutter.

On food waste, caterers need to consider the 'whole' cost of disposal, including the impact of collection or servicing vehicles. Use of food waste disposal units eliminates storage of waste on premises and reduces collection miles.

Dewatering machines take waste from the FWD and cut landfill/collection charges by reducing volume. They also provide suitable feed for composting.

On-site, in-vessel composting cuts collections and should be considered where the facility can use the compost produced. On-site, rapid waste decomposition completely breaks down large volumes of organic kitchen waste, to drain away through the drains. This can be an option for sites in towns and cities producing high levels of waste and where a FWD is not permitted.

Vacuum waste systems could be considered as part of a recycling waste management strategy. For details log on to www.csfg.co.uk.

Related Articles:

• 04 Nov 2009 - Catering and hospitality businesses urged to cut down on waste