Cutting Paper Waste at Olive Garden
Background
My name is Caitlyn Taylor and I have been working at Olive Garden for a little over 2 years. I have worked multiple front of house positions, including hostess, to-go specialist, busser, and server. Each of these positions has given me a unique experience, leading me to have multiple perspectives of operation as an employee in my restaurant.
While working, I have noticed the mass amount of paper that we use which isn't recycled. A big part of this problem is the fact that we don't have recycling bins anywhere in the restaurant. Seeing all of the paper waste build up day-by-day has influenced me to want to see a change that will be better for our environment.
This is a photo of an Olive Garden. This is where the excessive paper waste problem takes place. Olive Garden executives are the ones who should step up to fix this issue. image
This is a picture of a waste basket overflowing with paper. This demonstrates what happens everyday at Olive Garden, the mass amounts of paper that we just throw away that end up in landfills. image
Due to the large amount of paper waste generated, Olive Garden should implement more effective recycling programs or reduce how much paper they are using each day.
Why Recycle?
Olive Garden contributes to a lot of paper waste. We have multiple printers that are synced to print out the same things at the same time. There are so many copies of the same receipts printed out because of this, and the duplicates that are also often printed out. Managers also have endless papers in the office, including documents, position assignments or "who's-who's," and schedules. All of these papers are thrown in the trash because there are no recycling bins throughout the restaurant. The large amount of paper waste in our restaurant negatively affects the environment.
Olive Garden should implement recycling or cut paper waste due to its negative affect on the environment. Paper waste is a major issue, especially in everyday places like restaurants, because the paper industry is directly connected to not only mass amounts of energy consumption, but also change in climate. "America uses about 30% of the global paper supply, although we account for only 4.25% of the world's population" (Toner Buzz). A massive amount of paper waste and production comes from America, which has a smaller global population compared to other places. This could be due to the mass amount of paper that is used by various sectors in America, such as restaurants, businesses, offices, etc. If Olive Garden, and other chain restaurants like it, were to cut down on paper waste, we would see a change in that percentage.
On top of that, according to the WWF, 405 million tones of paper and paperboard are produced every year, making the pulp and paper industry the fourth largest energy consumer. This not only means that we contribute to lots of the worlds paper waste, we are also supporting and relying on a huge industry which contributes to a worse environment. Paper manufacturing itself is horrible for the environment because of the fossil fuels and greenhouse gases emissions. Toner Buzz also states, "Paper manufacturing produces nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, which contribute to acid rain, and carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change." Acid rain damages ecosystems and carbon dioxide traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere, proving that they both poorly impact our environment. The fact that paper manufacturing causes damages to our world is why we need to reduce it.
Damage from paper waste doesn't only happen during production. Vince Leyson, author of "Paper Waste: Why It Matters and How to Reduce It," says that the paper industry emits loads of greenhouse gas emissions from the decomposition of paper in landfills and the energy they use by producing it, which leads to deforestation and climate change. Decomposition of paper in landfills releases methane, which is even more potent than carbon dioxide. This fuels deforestation, not only reducing habitats for animals, but also reducing the amount of trees that absorb carbon. This also further accelerates climate change since there is more carbon trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere.
Reducing unnecessary paper waste is essential for helping our environment. It is very damaging to our abode as production and decomposition release greenhouse gases like carbon and methane, leading to deforestation and therefore climate change. If high-usage areas like restaurants can reduce their paper waste, it would greatly benefit the environment.
This is an image of a landfill. You can see the mass amounts of paper waste which are waiting to be decomposed. This much paper does a lot of damage to the environment. image
Is Reducing Paper Waste Too Difficult?
Michael Oshman states, "Restaurants generate more than 1.5 billion pounds of paper waste per year on receipts alone. There are many tree-based products in restaurants that could be eliminated entirely, recycled, or made from salvaged or recycled materials." Some may say that cutting down paper waste and implementing recycling at Olive Gardens might be too difficult. However, this statement isn't true. There are many simple and effective practices that can be introduced, which will make a significant impact. Some possible solutions that we can implement is being mindful of the amount of paper we print, going digital, and using recycling bins.
We should practice mindful printing because it will decrease the amount of paper that we use. "Simple actions such as printing only what is essential or utilizing print preview to avoid mistakes can cut down on office paper waste significantly" (Vince Leyson). Most of the paper we print goes unused. Either thrown out immediately or left to sit in the office for months without being read and eventually disposed of. Not only is this wasting paper, it also contributes to unnecessary costs and environment harm. Restaurants spend a lot of money on paper each month, but it goes overlooked since it's not an important part of their operations, but these costs add up. According to Ala Baganne, "A 50-table restaurant spends approximately $2,400-$4,800 annually on menu printing alone." Olive Garden has more than 50 tables, so their cost would be on the higher end of that spectrum. It would be cheaper to recycle than to use as much paper as they are using.
Another practice they should commit to is transitioning to digital solutions. Trikon states that we should "encourage customers to opt for digital menus and receipts, which can significantly reduce paper waste." Doing this will lower the amount of paper waste we contribute to, since most customers don't get their receipts emailed or use the digital menus since we don't push for it. Embracing the digital age is proved to work, "The move toward paperless billing, online subscriptions, and electronic data storage has already shown significant reductions in paper usage" (Vince Leyson). If we commit to the push for digital menus and receipts instead of paper copies will help us to better the environment.
One last practice that we should commit to is implementing recycling bins. This will reduce the poor environmental impact from the high amounts of paper waste contributed, as well as promoting sustainability. Much of our paper waste ends up in landfills, leading to pollution, so recycling will help to reduce that. It will help to better the environent because, and enhance Olive Garden's public image. Christina Lafferty says, "Millennials prefer to buy from brands with a pro-social message and sustainable methods." Recycling bins promote sustainability, therefore Olive Garden will benefit from it. Recycling bins are an important factor to help our environment.
There are many solutions to lessen the amount of paper waste that we create. These solutions will benefit the environment, and are not difficult to do. Simple actions such as mindful printing, going digital, and implementing recycling bins will make a huge difference. They are accessible and effective at reducing Olive Garden's environmental footprint.