scootersgym
New member
For those of you who have dine in do you recycle your plastic, glass,cardboard or tin? If yes or no what are your views of the sanitation presence of this?
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RECYCLING
- Thread starter scootersgym
- Start date
pizzapirate
New member
We do not have separate trash cans. Big hassle otherwise. Maybe a good idea if you can score “big” points in your community but its not something I wish to deal with.
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Your trash hauler should be able to provide the separate dumpsters. Since most of our trash is either cardboard or cans it works well for us. I respectfully disagree with you on the “points” issue. recycling is simply the right thing to do.
A fringe benefit fo us has been that our employees are proud of the fact that we recyle. I have heard them telling friends about it. That pride in workplace IS valuable.
A fringe benefit fo us has been that our employees are proud of the fact that we recyle. I have heard them telling friends about it. That pride in workplace IS valuable.
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NicksPizza
New member
I have been going back and forth on the real actual value of recycling. If the community has the program, then great. If not, then it is hard for me to justify the huge pain in my large butt in going out to get it done. Economic and environmental impacts and values are simply still too much in debate for me to go to that length.
If your community has recycling, then I enthusiastically encourage it . . . it might extend the use expectancy of the land fills.
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Recycling is a good marketing point, but not really all that effective in many communities. Our city processes recyclable material so poorly, it is just a waste of resources that would be better spent on other efforts. I am not knocking REAL conservation which includes recycling, but more often than not, it is just a political feel-good thing. Work on reducing your consumption and waste of all resources throughout your organization. It is good business as it will save money, promote employee pride, and promote community appreciation.
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I find it a disheartening that we are facing a global environmental crisis that is going to require big lifestyle changes if we are to continue to have a liveable planet, and people still aren’t on board with something as simple and logical as recycling. It can’t always be about money - and you don’t always see the costs. You can’t bribe a raincloud during a drought or buy your way out of a tornado. If your community doesn’t recycle, work on getting them to start. Recycled paper, glass, and plastic are already incorporated into the products you buy.
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NicksPizza
New member
Let’s keep it focused on how recycling does or does not make a difference in our shops and marketplaces.
Gonna be REAL valuable to avoid a political debate on this topic and the connected ones. I appreciate the values and beliefs of most folks, and find that environmental issues are rivaled only by maybe religion in terms of impassioned argument and potential for catastrophic disagreement.
Gonna be REAL valuable to avoid a political debate on this topic and the connected ones. I appreciate the values and beliefs of most folks, and find that environmental issues are rivaled only by maybe religion in terms of impassioned argument and potential for catastrophic disagreement.
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And when it comes to business, it IS about the money. Unless it differentiates your business (Fusion Pizza being an extreme example) or reduces costs, you should not do it. If you do, you are risking losing your business.
There are many environmentally-friendly things you can do that will either reduce your costs or improve the market’s perception of your business. Make-up air system for your oven to reduce air conditioning costs, fluorescent lighting, reduced or compostable packaging, training employees to just keep the dang walk-in door shut. It goes on and on. It just makes good business sense.
But here is an example of where we have to make a choice that is critical to our delco but not necessarily good for the environment.
We are considering packaging for our salads and sandwiches that are compostable. They are more expensive than the petroleum-based products, but we feel it will be valued by our customer demographics and fit our model of being “natural” and “organic”.
However, for our cold fountain drinks, we want an insulated cup that will not sweat. Currently, we have not been able to find a compostable product that will do this. So we will use the petroleum-based foam cups.
In the end, market forces are the only thing that has consistently driven consumer behavior. The vast majority of people with not make substantive change otherwise. And in business, if you are the only one who changes without realizing some market gain, you will not be in business long.
There are many environmentally-friendly things you can do that will either reduce your costs or improve the market’s perception of your business. Make-up air system for your oven to reduce air conditioning costs, fluorescent lighting, reduced or compostable packaging, training employees to just keep the dang walk-in door shut. It goes on and on. It just makes good business sense.
But here is an example of where we have to make a choice that is critical to our delco but not necessarily good for the environment.
We are considering packaging for our salads and sandwiches that are compostable. They are more expensive than the petroleum-based products, but we feel it will be valued by our customer demographics and fit our model of being “natural” and “organic”.
However, for our cold fountain drinks, we want an insulated cup that will not sweat. Currently, we have not been able to find a compostable product that will do this. So we will use the petroleum-based foam cups.
In the end, market forces are the only thing that has consistently driven consumer behavior. The vast majority of people with not make substantive change otherwise. And in business, if you are the only one who changes without realizing some market gain, you will not be in business long.
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whether you like it or not, the environment affects your business. I came across a story today on yahoo news talking about how people were going to have to eat less in the future:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/200 … nthefuture
does that sound like it might impact a pizza place? you’ve already seen your food costs go up - because of poor harvests, because of the search for alternative fuels, because of, yes, politics.
I see you all trying to reduce waste in your stores. not recycling is a waste.
I hear the same sorts of arguments from people as to why they wouldn’t buy a hybrid car - oh, the higher price tag won’t be offset by the savings in gas, therefore it’s not worth it. well, we don’t know where gas prices are going, so that equation may no longer be true in any case, but we all breathe the air. you don’t pay a bill for the air you breathe, but if your kid gets asthma, you start to see a cost for dirty air - both emotional and financial.
your businesses don’t operate outside the environment. we are all connected. it is being purely profit driven that has gotten the world into this crisis to begin with. is recycling really going to put you out of business? really?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/200 … nthefuture
does that sound like it might impact a pizza place? you’ve already seen your food costs go up - because of poor harvests, because of the search for alternative fuels, because of, yes, politics.
I see you all trying to reduce waste in your stores. not recycling is a waste.
I hear the same sorts of arguments from people as to why they wouldn’t buy a hybrid car - oh, the higher price tag won’t be offset by the savings in gas, therefore it’s not worth it. well, we don’t know where gas prices are going, so that equation may no longer be true in any case, but we all breathe the air. you don’t pay a bill for the air you breathe, but if your kid gets asthma, you start to see a cost for dirty air - both emotional and financial.
your businesses don’t operate outside the environment. we are all connected. it is being purely profit driven that has gotten the world into this crisis to begin with. is recycling really going to put you out of business? really?
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I am NOT arguing against recycling. I do it at home even though my trash pickup does not require it. I also do not have a single incandescent bulb in my entire house. I use drip irrigation for what little watering my plants require. I drive a high MPG vehicle. We use a programmable thermostat, ceiling fans, and zoned cooling to reduce energy use. And on and on. We support local and sustainable farming methods with our purchases. I am NOT about squandering limited resources. I am very much aware of the grave situation we are facing and the ongoing denial of the current administration and its supporters. (There, I threw a political jab to really liven up this thread! LOL)
But take the hybrid technology you brought up. Yes, it saves gas. But no, it does not make business economic sense considering the price difference. We have considered natural gas conversions, vegetable oil diesels, and electric cars. As of now, we will just use 30+ MPG older Honda Civics that we wrap in advertising. It makes the most economic sense. Now, when small diesels are back in the US, we will most likely switch to them. They are clean, efficient, and again…here is comes… wait for it… make economic sense.
Yes, in a capitalist society, profit is a restraint in making decisions. If I were independently wealthy and cared not about running a loss month after month, I would do everything that reduced my environmental impact, cost be damned. But I am not.
The important thing is to actively think about your choices and be aware of new technologies. If we can figure out a way to save money or build business through recycling or ANY environmentally positive practice, we will do it. But don’t make “feel-good” decisions that hurt your business. Enough of those decisions and you will not have a business at all.
But take the hybrid technology you brought up. Yes, it saves gas. But no, it does not make business economic sense considering the price difference. We have considered natural gas conversions, vegetable oil diesels, and electric cars. As of now, we will just use 30+ MPG older Honda Civics that we wrap in advertising. It makes the most economic sense. Now, when small diesels are back in the US, we will most likely switch to them. They are clean, efficient, and again…here is comes… wait for it… make economic sense.
Yes, in a capitalist society, profit is a restraint in making decisions. If I were independently wealthy and cared not about running a loss month after month, I would do everything that reduced my environmental impact, cost be damned. But I am not.
The important thing is to actively think about your choices and be aware of new technologies. If we can figure out a way to save money or build business through recycling or ANY environmentally positive practice, we will do it. But don’t make “feel-good” decisions that hurt your business. Enough of those decisions and you will not have a business at all.
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We don’t even have the option at our restaurant. Our dumpster bay was only designed to hold two small dumpsters. One of the tenants in our building demanded that they have their own dumpster and the landlord (don’t know why) appeased them.
So, we have one trash dumpster shared by four tenants and one used solely by 1 tenant. They both get picked up twice per week and are usually just over half full… talk about a waste. We could have used that other dumpster slot for recyclables, and we could probably get by with only 1 pickup per week.
Me and a couple of other employees take stuff home to our recycling, but there’s a limit to how much we can do.
I think one of the biggest things we need to do for the environment is stop drinking bottled water. Think about all of the energy that goes into manufacturing and delivering a product that you have flowing out of a tap a few feet away from you, at a cost that’s practically free. It’s something that every being on the planet needs to survive and we get all we need for about $20.00 per month; quite a deal to stay alive. Why are we buying it in bottles and then promptly disposing of over 1 billion of them every year?
Ruth, that article is interesting. But to be honest, Americans having to eat less could be one of the best things that ever happened to us.
So, we have one trash dumpster shared by four tenants and one used solely by 1 tenant. They both get picked up twice per week and are usually just over half full… talk about a waste. We could have used that other dumpster slot for recyclables, and we could probably get by with only 1 pickup per week.
Me and a couple of other employees take stuff home to our recycling, but there’s a limit to how much we can do.
I think one of the biggest things we need to do for the environment is stop drinking bottled water. Think about all of the energy that goes into manufacturing and delivering a product that you have flowing out of a tap a few feet away from you, at a cost that’s practically free. It’s something that every being on the planet needs to survive and we get all we need for about $20.00 per month; quite a deal to stay alive. Why are we buying it in bottles and then promptly disposing of over 1 billion of them every year?
Ruth, that article is interesting. But to be honest, Americans having to eat less could be one of the best things that ever happened to us.
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SMITH_JOHN
New member
recycling is a great idea,but mostly hype.
i worked for waste management for a few years on the recycle truck,at the end of the day i would head to the recycle area and offload and so would hundreds of other recycle trucks.
a front end loader would scoop it up and load it into a semi trailer and it was then off to the landfill never seeing
the recycle plant…
i worked for waste management for a few years on the recycle truck,at the end of the day i would head to the recycle area and offload and so would hundreds of other recycle trucks.
a front end loader would scoop it up and load it into a semi trailer and it was then off to the landfill never seeing
the recycle plant…
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pizzabarntn
New member
back in the mid 90s in vegas the disposal co gave everyone in town these neat little red white and blue containers . glass newspapers and alum. cans we were on board for awhile till i found out that they profitted 8.5 million dollars the first year on cans alone. :evil: were we live now we have to haul our trash ourselves to dump stations free but still a hasle all my cardboard gets recycled into my burn pile 
we have a guy that comes around and picks it up for free but they have to be broke down and all tape removed from boxes .if he wants to save the planet he can break down and pull tape i aint foolin with it.i know i have a bad attitude towards it but till the goverment and state quit bein so dam wasteful my attitude will be poor :!:
side note my kids said we should take the plastic deals off the six pack cans and tear each hole so dolphins dont get there nose entraped in them :idea:
they were told this by there tree huggin leaf lickin scince teacher!!!
i told them ask him when was the last time he saw dolphin in tn. :lol:
we have a guy that comes around and picks it up for free but they have to be broke down and all tape removed from boxes .if he wants to save the planet he can break down and pull tape i aint foolin with it.i know i have a bad attitude towards it but till the goverment and state quit bein so dam wasteful my attitude will be poor :!:side note my kids said we should take the plastic deals off the six pack cans and tear each hole so dolphins dont get there nose entraped in them :idea:
they were told this by there tree huggin leaf lickin scince teacher!!!
i told them ask him when was the last time he saw dolphin in tn. :lol:
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Smith, the same thing happens here. The recycled stuff in the city next door is picked up by a separate truck, carted across town, most of it is deemed unrecyclable and it is dumped. Now, think about this. TWO trucks burning gas to pick up garbage.
I have a friend who is an economics professor. He told me that there are many studies that have shown that forced home recycling is a waste of money. There just isn’t a real economic market out there for many of the items put into recycling or the products that can be made from recyclable material. The exception is metal. That is why you see so many people “cleaning” the streets of aluminum cans. There is a MARKET for them. Old newspapers… not so much.
You have got to think about environmental conservation in real dollar terms. There are not unlimited resources to address all the ails of the world. What is the most efficient way to spend our limited resources to solve the greatest number of problems facing us. Influencing market demand is usually the most efficient.
I have a friend who is an economics professor. He told me that there are many studies that have shown that forced home recycling is a waste of money. There just isn’t a real economic market out there for many of the items put into recycling or the products that can be made from recyclable material. The exception is metal. That is why you see so many people “cleaning” the streets of aluminum cans. There is a MARKET for them. Old newspapers… not so much.
You have got to think about environmental conservation in real dollar terms. There are not unlimited resources to address all the ails of the world. What is the most efficient way to spend our limited resources to solve the greatest number of problems facing us. Influencing market demand is usually the most efficient.
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NicksPizza
New member
ruth more:
ruth more:
ruth more:
Yes. Recycling as you and the many who demand it of every living being and business would put me out of business. There is no avenue for recycling solid waste within probably 50 miles of my store. I would have to hire additional staff to resort the containers daily as townies dump their household garbage in my bins, pay additional costs for ‘friendly’ packaging, pay added costs each month for pick-up and sorting, and build additional space to house sorting containers.
REDUCE > REUSE > RECYCLE
Everyone gets their knickers bunched on one third of the cycle. If we are generating less waste to begin with, then the recycling element becomes even more superfluous. Reuse purchased materials, and it extends the life of the item, reduces the need to purchase and manufacture new items. Recycling is the lowest impact and lease financially powerful element of the whole concept. Spend money and effort where I get the most bang for my limited buck.
By the by . . . Ruth . . . I do respect your desire to make an impact yourself doing what you find important to improve the human condition. We all do it in our own way. Do you buy only recycled paper and cardboard products for yourself, family and store? Do you all available alternatives that are made with 50%+ post-consumer waste? There are lots of them out there for the finding . . . do you use all of those available products?
I have a knee-jerk sort of thing for environmental issues that aren’t so conclusively “environmental” in nature as they are possibly “economic” in nature. I mean no disrespect, and only vent for my own self-edification.
Yes. As Americans realize we are not bullet-proof and must actually care for our bodies . . . we will have to focus on higher quality food products to make a most efficient return on our dining dollars. Eating at home more and eating out at higher food quality will be more desirable. Better quality nutrition for the cost. That will impact my business in a positive way.
ruth more:
I tried to avoid this . . . but . . . there is no stable and viable trend of research that confirms that using recycled materials is more fuel efficient, reduces pollutants in the environment, or saves money. In USA, millions of tax dollars are spent subsidizing the recycling industry in the form of grants, tax benefits and the like. Therefor, one must offset the “savings” in this industry by all the tax dollars WE are spending top prop it up since it is in no way a viable business interest. There is a vicious circle of . . .yes . . waste of money siphoning over to an industry that is making no headway towards being profitable or demonstrably beneficial to the economy, environment or my business. Remove the Federal Subsidy, and the solid waste program created at the behest of the federal government very possibly/likely falls flat. That is a waste of money that could be used is a venue that could produce actual sustainable results.
ruth more:
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Yes. Recycling as you and the many who demand it of every living being and business would put me out of business. There is no avenue for recycling solid waste within probably 50 miles of my store. I would have to hire additional staff to resort the containers daily as townies dump their household garbage in my bins, pay additional costs for ‘friendly’ packaging, pay added costs each month for pick-up and sorting, and build additional space to house sorting containers.
REDUCE > REUSE > RECYCLE
Everyone gets their knickers bunched on one third of the cycle. If we are generating less waste to begin with, then the recycling element becomes even more superfluous. Reuse purchased materials, and it extends the life of the item, reduces the need to purchase and manufacture new items. Recycling is the lowest impact and lease financially powerful element of the whole concept. Spend money and effort where I get the most bang for my limited buck.
By the by . . . Ruth . . . I do respect your desire to make an impact yourself doing what you find important to improve the human condition. We all do it in our own way. Do you buy only recycled paper and cardboard products for yourself, family and store? Do you all available alternatives that are made with 50%+ post-consumer waste? There are lots of them out there for the finding . . . do you use all of those available products?
I have a knee-jerk sort of thing for environmental issues that aren’t so conclusively “environmental” in nature as they are possibly “economic” in nature. I mean no disrespect, and only vent for my own self-edification.
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Getting back to the origional question here.
Although I am not a dine-in pizzeria I will put in my 2 cents. I am lucky enough to be across the parking lot from a recycle center so on a daily basis the items that can be recycled are taken to the bins. This makes the sanitation part of the question a non issue. As for the items that have a deposit like soda cans, I donate them to a special olympics participant who collects them twice a week.
The decission to recycle is not a hard one to make in my community due to the fee and fine structure. If I place cardboard in my waste bin there is a fine that is greater than what it would cost to have a cardboard recycle bin. The city government has made it more difficult to chose not to recycle than to do so, of course at the expense of the business. Why fight city hall if everyone else has the same rules.
Although I am not a dine-in pizzeria I will put in my 2 cents. I am lucky enough to be across the parking lot from a recycle center so on a daily basis the items that can be recycled are taken to the bins. This makes the sanitation part of the question a non issue. As for the items that have a deposit like soda cans, I donate them to a special olympics participant who collects them twice a week.
The decission to recycle is not a hard one to make in my community due to the fee and fine structure. If I place cardboard in my waste bin there is a fine that is greater than what it would cost to have a cardboard recycle bin. The city government has made it more difficult to chose not to recycle than to do so, of course at the expense of the business. Why fight city hall if everyone else has the same rules.
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NicksPizza
New member
We are still in semi-construction phase and recycle construction waste at the salvage yard . . . metal only.
As far as packaging, paper, plastic and cans, we do not at this point recycle them. Now that it is mentioned, we may throw the rinsed steel cans (#10) into the scrap pile for sale at the salvage yard . . . It’s like $8 per hundred pound of clean steel. Copper and aluminum are higher, but we don’t have nearly that sort of weight to bother . . . think old air conditioning duct work and old freezers.
As far as packaging, paper, plastic and cans, we do not at this point recycle them. Now that it is mentioned, we may throw the rinsed steel cans (#10) into the scrap pile for sale at the salvage yard . . . It’s like $8 per hundred pound of clean steel. Copper and aluminum are higher, but we don’t have nearly that sort of weight to bother . . . think old air conditioning duct work and old freezers.
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