The psychology of waste management: How we can reduce pollution in the hospitality industry
Words by Tegan Allen
The human brain is programmed for survival, to respond to current threats. I can see the threat of pollution when I swim, surf and walk through Cornwall. The clock is set to ten years to change before irreversible climate changes tip the balance beyond repair. In order to maintain equilibrium, humans and the environment have to give and take equally. We are nourished by the environment around us and must take the time to care for it. For me, when the ocean is clear so is my sense of clarity. When I see pollution, that is lost.
8 million pieces of plastic pollution enter the ocean every day, two thirds of which come from land-based activities, with the other third consisting of lost fishing gear. A large proportion of organic food waste from local bars and restaurants doesn’t go back into sustaining the soil we use for farming and fat bergs have been a major issue in Falmouth and the UK’s drainage systems for years. Litter being left on beaches and poorly managed coastal bins are a common issue, as well as littering in the town centre that results in waste building up in drains and eventually, the ocean.
Litter on the coastal path between Swanpool and Maenporth
Identifying the hospitality industry as part of the issue
Whilst recycling can provide a solution in part to the issue, correct procedures have to be strictly followed in order for recycling to be sold as a resource. Having worked in the hospitality industry for 7 years I have noticed a common theme; there is a lack of training and education regarding sustainable waste management behaviour throughout a large proportion of bars and restaurants. For example: lack of knowledge on recyclable plastics; separating soiled, oily cardboard from sellable cardboard; and a high contamination rate of waste streams with incorrect items. Education on recycling procedures such as rinsing food residue off all items is uncommon and there is a slow if non-existent move towards composting due to lack of infrastructure and motivation.
Providing a solution through a new waste management system
Trying to think about the impact you are having on the environment whilst making drinks and talking to customers is really difficult. Therefore, there has to be training to facilitate a muscle memory response. The new system also needs to accentuate self-transcendence values, positivity and a sense of contributing to something ‘more important’, whilst making it easy for staff members to access information and assume responsibility for maintaining waste management systems.
The new system also needs to accentuate a sense of contributing to something ‘more important’
I believe that appointing the KP as a waste management monitor will benefit the smooth operation of waste management systems and boost the morale of a member of the team who is often regarded as at the bottom of the staff hierarchy. The KP is often overloaded with active, monotonous work. Having a sense of prestige will promote correct practice from the person dealing with the largest amount of waste. Even though they will be a monitor, the unpacking, separation and other waste management duties will have to be distributed evenly to foster change within the group dynamic. Promoting equal distribution of responsibility means all staff members have to accept the consequences of their actions and will therefore be more likely to follow correct procedure. Clear bin liners will also help sustain good practice because the waste won’t be as “invisible”.
The location of particular facilities has a large impact on a person’s inclination to engage in that particular activity. For example, a supermarket has all the meal deals at the front/exit so people can grab a quick bite as they walk in or when they are leaving. This idea can be translated to waste management systems in order to improve the efficiency of the system. For example, painting bins bright colours associated with the way the waste is treated and placing them in the direct vicinity of where staff are working nudges them to delve into their long-term brain processes.
The aim is for less waste to go to the incinerator…
and to encourage more waste to go to compost
These bins were designed with eccentricity in mind. The incinerator sign is burnt and puckered and the contrast in the yellow explosion on the front draws attention to the writing. The compost bin is a small shoot design so it doesn’t take up too much space and isn’t easily knocked over. Both bins are made from metal in an attempt to move away from plastic.
So far, this system has been implemented at The Chintz and is in the process of being implemented at Pennycomequick, both in Falmouth.
What’s next?
In the future, I hope to make a pitch to staff members on the importance of maintaining recycling standards to the environment, society and the economy. I will be organising beach cleans, swim and surf days to try and promote a connection to nature and sustain change. Hopefully, this will give people a chance to move away from ‘unconsciously incompetent recyclers’ and towards ‘unconsciously competent recyclers’, because, in order for waste management systems to work more efficiently in bars and restaurants, recycling needs to be an embedded systemic routine that can be carried out without conscious effort.
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