Restaurant Nolla – Zero food waste operating model
Our modern composting machine Lauri converts all bio-waste from our restaurant into dry soil in 24 hours, after which the bio-waste is exported as dry soil to our suppliers on a weekly basis. With this approach, no bio-waste is wasted, but everything is returned back to the fields as nutrient-rich dry soil.
I think this a wonderful act! It seems simple but it beautifully replicates the circularity of nature. Taking care of own bio-waste and processing it to provide nutrients for the next round of food ingredient supply demonstrates responsibility and creates an important unit of a closed circuit of waste management. An innovative and rewarding act.
I just love it! I wish Lauri could be present also at home, not only in this restaurant. Although expensive, the composting unit makes all the money when you calculate the cost of the waste one restaurant makes on average. This is in essence a simple concept, embedded in a unique tech formula. A great example to be followed!
This Planet Act shows clearly how a company is able to bring its principles to action. The innovation presented is widely scalable to all businesses that have bio-waste streams. In addition, this practice connects the customer company back to its suppliers and makes the company a producer of nutrients to its own supply chain.
”Nollan perustajina halusimme seistä täysin konseptimme takana, ja noudattaa kestävän kehityksen ja kiertotalouden periaatteita niin hyvin kuin mahdollista.”
Purpose
The basic idea of our restaurant is to act in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and circular economy as far as possible. This means that all decisions and investments are made in accordance with these principles. Our planet, people, and business alike benefit from the way we operate. In our operations, everything we do is sustainably optimized, from sourcing to the well-being of our staff, choice of work clothes, and even soaps.
Results
Composting all the bio-waste generated in the restaurant is one part of the complete recycling of raw materials from fields back to the fields, which is a key part of our sustainable operations. However, sustainable development is just another aspect of why we decided to invest in a modern composting machine. We have calculated that the machine has already repaid for itself after two years of use, and we are currently saving around € 500-600 a month in money, which would normally have to be paid for by the city’s waste management.
Implementation
Our approach consists of continuous minimization of the amount of bio-waste generated, daily monitoring (Waste Management Software, CGI), and an Oklin-branded bio-waste composting machine. The machine has been purchased from a company called Solotop, which sells machines in Finland.
Together with the chefs, we are constantly developing new and better ways to utilize the raw materials we use as far as possible. However, it is impossible to get rid of all bio-waste, which requires a sustainable and economically viable approach for the treatment of bio-waste management. At the end of each working day, we weigh all the bio-waste generated (approx. 11-12 kilograms/week), and enter the daily data into the monitoring system. After weighing, the bio-waste goes to a composting machine, where it turns into nutrient-rich dry soil in about 24 hours. The resulting dry soil is then returned to suppliers and fields on a weekly basis.
The People's Voice