How to set up restaurant composting program

Quick answer

Start by choosing what you’ll compost and who will take it, then set up color‑coded back‑of‑house (BOH) and front‑of‑house (FOH) stations, train your team, and check contamination each week. Follow the Food Recovery Hierarchy (donation first, then composting or anaerobic digestion), confirm your hauler’s accepted items, and roll out in phases, BOH first, FOH second, to keep streams clean. ¹

1) Define your scope and end-destination

Before you buy bins, decide which materials you will collect and where they will go. This helps you avoid costly mid‑course fixes.

Priorities: Follow the Food Recovery Hierarchy: prevent waste, donate edible food, then compost or send to anaerobic digestion (AD). ¹
Materials: Typical “yes” items include fruit and veg scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, paper towels and napkins, and uncoated paper. Common “no” items include plastics (even if labeled compostable, depending on the facility), glass, metals, and liquids.
Destinations: Use off‑site composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), or mixed‑organics processing. Your hauler and local facility decide what is acceptable. Ask for their item list in writing.
Pilot first: Pick one BOH area, for example the prep line and dish pit, and run a two‑week trial to measure volume and pain points.

Back-of-house compost bin placed at prep table with clear label and green color

2) Line up your hauler and service details

Call at least three providers, or your current waste company, and compare the same details.

Accepted items: Ask for the exact “yes/no” list and whether BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute)‑certified liners are required.
Containers & pickups: Confirm sizes, 32–96 gal carts or 1–2 yd totes, indoor liners, and pickup schedules that match your volume and odors.
Contamination policies: Ask about the contamination threshold, how they measure it, their notice process, and fees.
Weights & reporting: Request monthly weights by stream and contamination notes so you can track progress.
Local rules: In some states and cities, organics collection is required—e.g., California’s SB 1383 (businesses must subscribe to organics service) and Massachusetts’ commercial organics disposal ban (applies at ≥0.5 ton/week of food waste). Confirm your obligations when scoping service. ² ³

3) Design your bin system (BOH and FOH)

Keep walks short, lids easy, and signage unmistakable.

Color & labels: Use one color for compost, green is widely recognized, another for landfill, and another for recycling. Add a large front label and a top label that shows your actual items.
Liners: Use heavy‑duty compostable liners if your facility allows. Otherwise, go linerless and set a quick hose‑rinse routine.
BOH placements:
- Prep line: 1 small compost caddy per station. Empty it into a larger cart every hour.
- Dish pit/scrape: A wide‑mouth compost cart at elbow height, plus a small landfill pail for non‑compostables.
- Bakery/bar: A caddy for grounds, fruit peels, citrus. Keep glass and plastics separate.
FOH stations:
- Use a 3‑stream setup (landfill, recycling, compost) near bussing or exits.
- Mount a shelf or tray‑landing area so guests can pause and sort.
- Show 5–7 photo examples per stream (your menu items, not clip art). Keep it simple: “Food + napkins” for compost.

4) Roles, training, and daily routines

Give composting a clear owner and simple shift habits.

Ownership: Name a “Green Captain” such as an assistant general manager (AGM), kitchen manager (KM), or lead who maintains bins, signage, and the hauler relationship.
Pre‑shift huddles: Give 60‑second refreshers. Cover today’s “confusing item,” where bins moved, and who is on contamination checks.
Station cards: Laminated BOH cue cards listing yes/no items for that station.
New hire onboarding: 10‑minute module with a 1‑page cheat sheet. Include where full bins go and when to swap liners.
Safety: Provide gloves and basic personal protective equipment (PPE). Keep lids closed, and roll heavy carts with two hands.

5) Keep contamination low (and your hauler happy)

Most programs fail because of contamination, not a lack of enthusiasm. Use these guardrails:

Phase rollout: Start BOH only for 2 weeks. Add FOH after staff is confident.
“When in doubt, throw it out”: For FOH, it’s better to landfill a questionable item than to spoil a whole cart.
Narrow the stream: If your facility rejects “compostable plastics,” ban them entirely. Don’t rely on guests to spot labels.
Bin ergonomics: Wide openings for food. Use small or lidded openings for landfill to nudge behavior.
Daily checks: Shift lead inspects top 6–8 inches of each compost cart before set‑out. Pull contaminants right away.

6) Launch, measure, and tune

Make improvement visible so the habit sticks.

KPIs (key performance indicators) to track: pounds of compost per week, contamination rate (% visual estimate), and compost lbs per 100 covers.
Feedback loop: Ask the hauler for contamination notes. Post a simple weekly chart in BOH.
Menu tweaks: Switch to uncoated paper where feasible. Pre‑cut garnishes to reduce trim. Offer smaller default sides.
Guest messaging: A small counter sign (“We compost food scraps here, thanks for sorting!”) plus clear bin photos beats paragraphs.
Re‑train monthly: Rotate the “confusing item of the week” (e.g., lemon ramekins, sauce cups) in pre‑shift.

Example rollout timeline (30 days)

Days 1–3: Hauler selected, accepted items list and pickups confirmed. Order bins/labels/liners.
Days 4–10: BOH pilot in prep and dish. Do daily contamination checks. Adjust.
Days 11–17: Add BOH zones (bar/bakery). Update signage.
Days 18–24: Staff refresher. Set up FOH 3‑stream stations. Soft‑launch with floor support.
Days 25–30: Review weights and notes with the hauler. Lock in the final schedule and responsibilities.

Bottom line

Pick your accepted items and hauler first, place simple color‑coded stations exactly where waste happens, and protect the stream with daily checks and quick, ongoing training.

Glossary

BOH: Back‑of‑house (kitchen, prep, dish areas).
FOH: Front‑of‑house (guest areas like dining room and pickup).
AD: Anaerobic digestion, a process that turns organics into biogas and digestate.
PPE: Personal protective equipment (gloves, aprons, etc.).
BPI: Biodegradable Products Institute, which certifies compostable products.