Set up separation points where waste is made

Recycling succeeds or fails in the first ten seconds after a bottle is emptied or a box is unpacked. If the nearest bin is a general waste bin, that glass or card will go into it. So place clearly labelled separation points at the exact spots where waste is generated: the back bar, the cellar, the kitchen pass, and the pot wash. A dedicated glass bin beside the glasswasher, a flattened cardboard stack by the delivery door, and a food waste caddy at the prep bench will capture most recyclable material before it reaches the main waste area.

Think about a single bottle. It is emptied at the bar, carried to the glasswash, then either washed or discarded. If discarded glass goes into a mixed bin, you have lost it. A simple separation point at the end of the bar – a narrow, lockable glass bin with a clear label – solves that. Do the same for cardboard in the cellar and food waste in the kitchen. Make the right thing the easiest thing.

Glass: crush it, store it, keep it safe

Glass is heavy, bulky and potentially dangerous. Empty bottles take up surprising space, and a wheelie bin full of them is difficult to move. A bottle crusher – manual or electric – can reduce glass volume by up to 80 per cent. That means fewer bin lifts, less clutter, and a lower risk of breakages. Compact undercounter models suit small bars; larger stand-alone units suit busy venues. Look for quiet operation and a safety interlock, and site it near the glasswash.

If you are not ready for a crusher, use dedicated glass racks or lidded wheeled bins. Never store glass in open crates. Keep glass separate from cardboard: broken glass contaminates paper and card recycling, and mixed loads can be rejected. A separate, lidded glass bin is the minimum. For higher volumes, a glass-only skip or small compactor can be worthwhile, but check collection vehicle access.

Cardboard: flatten, bale, and save space

Cardboard is the opposite problem: light but bulky. A single delivery of wine, spirits, mixers and dry goods can fill a back yard within a week. The answer is volume reduction. Every member of staff should flatten boxes before stacking them. A wall-mounted cardboard crusher or a simple manual baler makes this quick. For high turnover, a vertical cardboard baler turns a day's waste into a neat, tied bale that is easy to store and attractive to recyclers.

Baled cardboard takes a fraction of the space of loose boxes and often commands a better collection rate. Some contractors provide a rebate for clean, dry, baled card. Keep cardboard dry – wet card loses value. If you have a compactor, ensure it is rated for cardboard and keep glass separate, because mixed glass and card cannot be recycled together. A simple rule: glass in one container, card in another, food waste in a third.

Use technology to smooth collections

Technology does not have to mean expensive robots. Simple fill-level sensors fitted to bins and skips send an alert when a container is nearly full. That stops overfilling – which causes litter and missed collections – and stops you calling a collection too early, which wastes money. Some sensors connect to a dashboard or app so you can see all your waste streams at a glance.

Waste management software can go further. Schedule collections automatically, track weight and material type, and store waste transfer notes digitally. That matters for duty of care – you are legally responsible for your waste until it is properly recycled or disposed of. Digital records are easier to audit and can support environmental accreditation. Even a simple spreadsheet is better than nothing, but a dedicated platform saves time and reduces errors.

People, signage and a bit of friendly competition

No equipment will work if staff do not use it. The best setups are simple, consistent and well signed. Use clear, colour-coded labels with pictures as well as words. Make sure every bin has a lid and that the opening matches the material – a round hole for bottles, a slot for flattened card. Put a small general waste bin next to recycling points so people are not tempted to contaminate a stream with crisp packets or cling film.

Train new starters on the first shift and refresh the team every few months. A five-minute huddle can cover what goes where and why it matters. Make it a game: a weekly prize for the cleanest separation point, or a chart showing how much you have recycled compared with last month. When staff see the impact, they engage.

Measure, review, and tell your story

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Weigh or estimate your waste streams for one week. How many glass bins do you fill? How many cardboard bales? How many general waste lifts? Set a simple target: reduce general waste by 20 per cent over three months. Review collection data monthly. If you find contamination – glass in the card, food in the glass – investigate why. Is a bin missing? Is a label confusing? Is a collection time clashing with a busy period?

Over time, small improvements add up. A tidy back-of-house, fewer collections, lower waste bills, and a clear environmental story for your customers. You do not need to be perfect. Start with one separation point, one reliable collection, and one team that knows what to do. The rest follows.