How to use water responsibly

Water consumption and your business

Water runs your business. It’s an essential resource that you need in large amounts before, during and after services. But it also costs you money and adds pressure on depleting natural resources. With rising costs and the scarcity of water resources, as well as your customers’ growing attention to environmental issues, it’s time to become more sustainable as a restaurateur, which will also help you save money.

Good to know

For a restaurant, most water is used in the kitchen, followed by bathrooms. It is estimated that restaurants can decrease operating costs by 11%, energy use by 10%, and water use by 15% if efficient water practices are implemented.
39% of HoReCa customers (in 23 countries) think that reducing energy and water use is one of the most important issues to deal with in their business. While 59% said they do it for environmental reasons, 23% said they do this to save money.*
*Metro´s 2019 global sustainability study 
*Metro´s 2019 global sustainability study 
Like the 39% of customers who want to tackle energy and water waste in their own operations, you too can take steps that save money while at the same time protecting the environment.*
*Metro´s 2019 global sustainability study 
*Metro´s 2019 global sustainability study 

Simple ways to save water

As a restaurateur, there are many ways to save water in your restaurant.
Fix leaky taps and pipes, re-use grey water and prep and clean with caution.

This is how you can start:

FIX LEAKY TAPS AND PIPES

RE-USE GREY WATER

PREP AND CLEAN
WITH CAUTION

PREP AND CLEAN
WITH CAUTION

Prep and clean with caution

Check whether you make use of all possible ways to prep and clean with caution:

  • Don´t use water to defrost foods. Food should always be defrosted slowly in advance in a cooler.
  • Mop the kitchen floor only at the end of a service or if food is spilled.
  • If possible, scrape dishes (using a scraper or squeegee, not water) over the rubbish bin before loading them into the dishwasher.
  • If you do have to rinse before loading, use a low-flow pre-rinse spray nozzle.
  • Run the dishwasher only when it is full.
  • Turn off equipment that uses water when not in use.
  • Replace a water hose with a water brush. This cleans more efficiently using half the water in busy areas such as the trash bin storage area or the terrace areas.

Re-use grey water

Grey water means water that has already been used for cooking, ice buckets and also refers to rainwater. When recycled properly, grey water can help save a lot of water. Water that is used for boiling vegetables or eggs can, once cooled off, be used for the garden or plants in the restaurant. Even rainwater can be trapped and used to water plants or clean outdoor areas. Ensure that the re-used grey water does not contain salt as it harms plants and that the container that captures the water is closed and emptied regularly to prevent access to insects, such as mosquitos.

Use returnable deposit packaging and returnable plastic carrier packaging

To reduce plastic, use returnable deposit packaging wherever possible, for example, glass water bottles or plastic crates instead of plastic wrap as returnable plastic carrier packaging.

Use plastic collection and disposal services

Your local wholesaler provides plastic collection and disposal services that you should use so that plastic can be properly recycled.

Take part in a water fill up scheme

Water fill up schemes put your restaurants on the map for registered uses for people to come and fill up their bottles for free. You do not only show your social awareness, but you also concretely prevent more plastic from being consumed because consumers will not need to buy water in plastic bottles. Moreover, this can also be a way to generate new customers.

Purchase sustainable packaged products

Buy products that are packaged sustainably. This means simple packaging without PVC, PVDC and EPS. This might also lower your disposal costs.

Purchase sustainable packaged products

Buy products that are packaged sustainably. This means simple packaging without PVC, PVDC and EPS. This might also lower your disposal costs.

Fix leaky taps and pipes

Do you know how much water is wasted by drips and leaks from taps, appliance or pipes? Up to 750 litres of water per day are lost through a leaking toilet flush, and up to 70 litres per day through a dripping tap!

Prep and clean with caution

Check whether you make use of all possible ways to prep and clean with caution:

  • Don´t use water to defrost foods. Food should always be defrosted slowly in advance in a cooler.
  • Mop the kitchen floor only at the end of a service or if food is spilled.
  • If possible, scrape dishes (using a scraper or squeegee, not water) over the rubbish bin before loading them into the dishwasher.
  • If you do have to rinse before loading, use a low-flow pre-rinse spray nozzle.
  • Run the dishwasher only when it is full.
  • Turn off equipment that uses water when not in use.
  • Replace a water hose with a water brush. This cleans more efficiently using half the water in busy areas such as the trash bin storage area or the terrace areas.

Source locally, regionally and in season

Make an impact with responsible sourcing and only use responsibly sourced fish and food that is organic, nutritious, seasonal, ethically traded, local and regional. Moreover, try to buy foods that encourage biodiversity, do not involve waste and do not destroy forests. If you want to find out more, go to the responsible sourcing chapter.

Introduce tap water

If the water quality allows it, offer tap water for customers.

Simple ways to save water

As a restaurateur, there are many ways to save water in your restaurant.
Fix leaky taps and pipes, re-use grey water and prep and clean with caution.

This is how you can start:

PREP AND CLEAN
WITH CAUTION
FIX LEAKY TAPS
AND PIPES
RE-USE GREY WATER

Advanced ways to save water

Once you have managed the daily water-saving routines,
you can consider investing in advanced ways to save water:

01
Low-flow taps
With this simple, inexpensive, and effective way you can immediately decrease your water consumption. As hygiene is crucial, this is a way to continue basic requirements such as hand washing but using water more efficiently
02
Low-flow pre-rinse spray nozzles
Pre-rinse dishes before manually washing or loading them into a dishwasher, this saves water
03
Boiler-less cookers
A boiler-based steam cooker can use up to 150 litres of water per hour, which means up to 660,000 litres per year. A closed system steamer, which recycles its water supply and reuses condensation that would otherwise evaporate, saves water and money
04
Better quality equipment
Use equipment with an energy mark, for example, dishwashers, ice machines (air-cooled), refrigerators, freezers, ovens, coolers, and steam cookers. This can save up to 10% of water
05
Water saving equipment in bathrooms
By using water-saving taps, dual flush toilets, sensors on taps, toilets and urinals or cistern displacement devices you can reduce a significant amount of used water
06
Consult your water provider
Install rain barrels to catch rainwater which could be re-used to water plants or clean outdoor areas. Grey water can also be used to flush toilets. Be innovative and consult your local water provider for information on the best water-saving method for your area
07
Consider indirect ways to save water
Buy products with less impact on water resources such as indoor grown salads and herbs, seasonal fruit and vegetables, or detergents formulated to use less water

Advanced ways to save water

Once you have managed the daily water-saving routines,
you can consider investing in advanced ways to save water:

02
Low-flow pre-rinse spray nozzles
Pre-rinse dishes before manually washing or loading them into a dishwasher, this saves water
04
Better quality equipment
Use equipment with an energy mark, for example, dishwashers, ice machines (air-cooled), refrigerators, freezers, ovens, coolers, and steam cookers. This can save up to 10% of water
06
Consult your water provider
Install rain barrels to catch rainwater which could be re-used to water plants or clean outdoor areas. Grey water can also be used to flush toilets. Be innovative and consult your local water provider for information on the best water-saving method for your area
01
Low-flow taps
With this simple, inexpensive, and effective way you can immediately decrease your water consumption. As hygiene is crucial, this is a way to continue basic requirements such as hand washing but using water more efficiently
03
Boiler-less cookers
A boiler-based steam cooker can use up to 150 litres of water per hour, which means up to 660,000 litres per year. A closed system steamer, which recycles its water supply and reuses condensation that would otherwise evaporate, saves water and money
05
Water saving equipment in bathrooms
By using water-saving taps, dual flush toilets, sensors on taps, toilets and urinals or cistern displacement devices you can reduce a significant amount of used water
07
Consider indirect ways to save water
Buy products with less impact on water resources such as indoor grown salads and herbs, seasonal fruit and vegetables, or detergents formulated to use less water

Track and Talk
About Your Progress

Once you have taken the first steps to reduce the amount of water that you need, check the change in water consumption and keep a track of it. Look out for simple tracking solutions that don’t need too much input from you. Your water management company might already have digital tools that you can use. In addition: Talk to your staff about how much you saved and how they have helped in doing so. Seeing the progress visibly can motivate them to continue saving water. Publicise what you are doing. For example, a sign in the bathroom or on your menu can be a visible reminder to your customers about your responsible actions. Your staff and customers will take these messages home with them, making your impact go even further!

Your Action Plan

  • Analyse your consumption and hunt for sources of water wastage

  • Contact your utility company for support

  • Inform and engage your staff

  • Tell your customers about your progress

  • Install visual reminders

  • Re-evaluate your water saving plan after every couple of weeks

METRO SOLUTIONS

Applications that can support with menu design or communications are:

METRO OFFERS

METRO supports you with a diverse product assortment and services for your sustainability strategy. Please check out the local METRO or makro website in your country.

The METRO My Sustainable Restaurant is designed to help food business owners adopt a more sustainable future.

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Prep and clean with caution

Check whether you make use of all possible ways to prep and clean with caution:

X

Fix leaky taps and pipes

Do you know how much water is wasted by drips and leaks from taps, appliance or pipes? Up to 750 litres of water per day are lost through a leaking toilet flush, and up to 70 litres per day through a dripping tap!

X

Re-use grey water

Grey water means water that has already been used for cooking, ice buckets and also refers to rainwater. When recycled properly, grey water can help save a lot of water. Water that is used for boiling vegetables or eggs can, once cooled off, be used for the garden or plants in the restaurant. Even rainwater can be trapped and used to water plants or clean outdoor areas. Ensure that the re-used grey water does not contain salt as it harms plants and that the container that captures the water is closed and emptied regularly to prevent access to insects, such as mosquitos.