How to Reduce Waste in a Bakery

More than 100 million tonnes of bread are baked every year, but it’s estimated about 900,000 tonnes of bread go to waste as well. Bakeries produce lots of these and it highlights the problem of food waste caused by bakeries. Overproduction, spoilage, and improper storage are all reasons behind bakery waste.

The more rubbish your bakery produces, the higher your waste disposal costs. Minimising waste production, the size and number of bins you need, and cutting collection frequencies should save your bakery a lot of dough. And recycling as much as possible means you’ll pay less landfill tax as well.

There’s a big environmental impact behind the waste bakeries make too. Food and other organic waste produce methane as it breaks down, which is an incredibly potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Reducing food waste from bakeries is important to minimise their carbon footprint and avoid adding to pollution levels.

It’s no surprise that food is the main source of waste in most bakeries. This includes unsold baked goods, spoiled ingredients, byproducts of baking, and any other foodstuffs that aren’t sold, used, or eaten. Efficient processes, care, and attention can work to reduce food waste in bakeries that benefit the environment and your bakery’s profits.

Follow these steps to reduce food waste in a bakery:

• Train staff – inefficient baking processes can result in overproduction, excess byproducts from baking, and burnt products. Ensure all employees know how to use equipment efficiently to avoid excess waste. Training staff about proper food storage, processes, and the impact of waste on the bakery can help lower waste levels.
• Measure accurately – good scales and accurate measurements of ingredients make the difference between a successful bake and a failure. Inaccurate measurements can ruin products and result in waste.
• Store and package products properly – once your pastries, sweet treats, and breads are baked they must be stored at the optimum temperature to avoid spoilage. When packaging goods, have set paper bad or box sizes for each item to avoid things getting squashed before they’re sold.
• Carefully check ‘use by’ dates – rotate ingredients in the back and regularly inspect use-by dates of them and any products on your shelves so they don’t go off. If any ingredients of food products are nearing their expiry date find a way to use them up or sell off cheaply rather than throwing them away.
• Use leftovers and offcuts – baking certain goods will create unavoidable bits of waste food through offcuts. Work out ways to use these in other items, such as adding strips of pastry to the tops of any pies or putting excess icing on some buns.
• Maintain your bakery equipment – prevent failures and unnecessary food waste with good cleaning and upkeep of all baking equipment. For example, faulty ovens can create under or overcooked baked goods that are unsellable, so ensure proper maintenance and regular checks.