Sustainability Guide for Micro Hospitality SMEs

Our sustainability guide for hospitality micro businesses has been designed to help you become more sustainable, cut carbon, save money, and use resources efficiently.

How to use this guide

This guide provides:

Tips specific to hospitality micro businesses.
A glossary of key terms you might want to refer to as you navigate the guide.

For general sustainability advice regarding Utilities, and factsheets full of tips and tricks for measuring and tracking energy, water and waste, visit the guide landing page.

Hospitality Businesses

One of the main ways you can reduce your footprint as a hospitality business is to minimise the waste that you create, particularly your food waste. You can find some generic tips on reducing waste in Section 2.5, but below are a few more ideas that will be particularly relevant if you serve food. If you provide takeaways, packaging and packaging waste is likely another priority area for you.

As well as thinking about the waste you make and the products you use, you will also need to think about the energy, water, and transport methods you use. General tips can be found in Sections 2.4, 2.3, and 2.2, respectively.

Signing up to the National Refill Scheme will connect customers with your refillable food and drink offerings.

Net Zero Glossary for Hospitality

Confused by carbon jargon? Whether you run a café, B&B, or restaurant, our Net Zero Glossary explains key sustainability terms—like Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, carbon offsetting, and energy efficiency—in plain language.

Explore the glossary and build your confidence in making greener business decisions.

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Quick Wins

Try to make sure the quantity of fresh ingredients you order matches the amount of food you are likely to sell. Use historic data, along with considerations like the weather forecast, as a guide.
Use a ‘first-in first-out’ system when it comes to storing food to avoid extra spoilage.
Use the same ingredients flexibly across different menu items to get through produce quicker and avoid spoilage.
If you have trimmings and bones, or unsold prepared food, use them to create stocks, soups and the next day’s ‘special’.
Think carefully about the portion size for each element of a meal and use scoops or other measures to ensure consistency.
If your chef can accommodate it, let people switch meal elements they don’t like for alternatives. This will help to reduce food waste.
Use commercial microwaves or accelerated/rapid cooking ovens when cooking, defrosting or reheating small amounts of food. This is more efficient than a conventional oven or hob.
Use the correct-sized pots when cooking, and use a lid where possible. This reduces heat loss and saves energy. Operate your washing machines and dishwashers only on full loads and use the economy setting if you have one.
Use cleaning products that do not require high temperatures for effectiveness. This will use less energy.
Avoid using running water to defrost food items. Use a microwave (see tip 7) or thaw naturally by planning ahead.
In self-service settings, consider using smaller plates so customers aren’t encouraged to take more food than they will eat. They can always come back for more!
If you regularly have half-used toilet rolls in customer bedrooms or toilets, use them in staff toilets instead of throwing them away
Install self-closing or automated spray-head taps and efficient lowvolume showerheads to reduce water consumption.
Set an automatic alarm and/or use signs to ensure fridge and freezer doors aren’t left open for longer than required.
Ensure kitchen appliances are maintained and freezers are defrosted regularly. This will reduce the energy these appliances lose and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Regularly check the seals on fridges, freezers and ovens to avoid loss of heat or chilled air.
Regularly clean and wipe down extractor fans to improve their efficiency.
Promote reusable containers for customers and consider incentivising their use through discounts, while conversely applying small charges for disposables.
Purchase your cleaning products in bulk to refill smaller individual containers. Replace single-use toiletries like shampoo, soaps and hand sanitiser with containers that can be refilled from bulk containers.
Try swapping things like plastic wrap for reusable solutions such as reusable boxes with lids or beeswax wraps.
Encourage customer recycling on social media, menus and delivery apps by explaining how to recycle properly.

Medium-Term Wins

Create seasonal menus and source local produce to reduce food miles and support British farmers. Customers like to know they are supporting the local economy!
Replace meat items with plant-based offerings to reduce emissions and appeal to an environmentally conscious customer base.
Make sure thermostats aren’t placed in areas where there is excess heat (e.g. behind fridges) or in chilled areas (e.g. in front of chilled display cabinets). Similarly, avoid putting equipment that creates heat close to equipment that is trying to cool and vice versa.
If you deliver locally, consider the mode of transport you use. Bicycles, e-bikes and electric mopeds provide a low carbon and cheaper alternative to cars.
Look for verified green certifications when purchasing food items, linen, and uniforms. Examples can be found in Section 2.1.
Consider food redistribution apps like Too Good to Go and OLIO, which allow you to share surplus food with consumers close to your business. Alternatively, use surplus food charities like FareShare or Plan Zheroes.

Long-Term Wins

Seek out suppliers that are actively working on reducing environmental impact through their own operations and supply chains.
Consider partnering with other hospitality business owners in your local area to collectively manage fresh food deliveries and waste collections.
Have your kitchen extractors ‘interlocked’ (electrically linked) to ovens and hobs so that they cannot be left on when the cookers have been switched off.
Consider installing a Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system to use excess heat from kitchens to preheat hot water elsewhere in your building.

Useful resources

We have a range of resources available for organisations on their net zero journey.

Net Zero Toolkit for Hospitality Businesses

Ready to cut carbon and save on costs? Whether you run a café, restaurant, B&B, or small hotel, our Net Zero Toolkit gives you step-by-step resources to reduce emissions, boost your environmental credentials, and improve efficiency.

Access the toolkit and start your journey to a more sustainable hospitality business.

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Carbon Calculator for Hospitality Businesses

Want to understand your carbon footprint? Whether you run a café, restaurant, B&B, or small hotel, our free carbon calculator helps you measure emissions from energy, food waste, transport, and more.

Use the calculator to find out where you can cut carbon and save money.

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🧭 Explore Our Net Zero Support Services

Whether you're just starting your sustainability journey or need expert input on a specific project, our consultancy services are here to help: