The food industry is on a journey to be more conscious about wasting food as well as reviewing and improving sustainability efforts in processing and packaging. We spoke to our Food service Business Development Consultant, Paul Fieldhouse, and asked about what needs to be done to make the sector and wider supply chain more sustainable.
Q: What can the food industry do to be more sustainable?
Paul: “There’s no doubt that reducing food waste and single-use plastic is important. But the issue is bigger than that, so we have to broaden the discussion and talk about the wastefulness of catering equipment being scrapped, purely because people don’t see the value in surplus assets.
At Ramco, we believe looking at the equipment that the food is mixed, cooked and packed in is a key part of the solution to be a more sustainable industry. Why not? It’s the immediate neighbour.”
Q: What do you think is holding people back from reusing catering equipment?
Paul: “The lack of time when planning new projects, such as refurbishing a kitchen, is one of the reasons holding people back from reusing their redundant equipment. There is a fear that the project will get delayed – so sending items to scrap or landfill seems the easiest and quickest way.
That ties back to the fact that a lot of people fail to see the value in their surplus assets. The irony is people are talking about improving efficiency, using less water and power and switching to better equipment – but there’s little to no regard for reusing unwanted items. They’re missing out – not only on being more sustainable but also on a financial return that could be generated from selling their surplus assets.”
Q: What kind of equipment are we talking about and how does Ramco help foodservice businesses that have items sitting idle?
Paul: “Anything and everything! We handle everything from industrial fridges and freezers, cookers, ice cream and coffee machines, to hot plates and service equipment. We help businesses find new homes for items they no longer need. Sometimes we get new kit which has cosmetic damage and can’t be sold new. That means people could buy fully functioning items for a fraction of the new price.
We’re trying to keep it simple: we can visit your site to assess your assets, or you can send us a description and images. We’ll then collect and bring them to our specialist reuse facility in Skegness and get them ready for auction. By reselling your unwanted equipment you’re not only contributing to the circular economy, but also generating a financial return that you can reinvest into your business.”
Q: What would you recommend to restaurants or foodservice organisations when they have equipment they no longer need?
Paul: “The key is to look at your surplus assets and assume they will still hold good value. Don’t immediately consider them as waste or scrap, get in touch with Ramco and we’ll be pleased to help – none of us can afford to waste resources.
This is about reusing perfectly good equipment – end of lease doesn’t mean end of life.”
Are you upgrading your kit, or do you have surplus catering equipment sitting idle? Get in touch to start a conversation with us today: https://www.ramco.co.uk/contact-us