​When waste reduction delivers big brand benefits

For restaurants, wasted food and packaging mean wasted money. But it’s prudent to think beyond the financial. When restaurants can find inventive ways to reduce their waste, they benefit from not only cost savings but also elevated brand loyalty. Case in point: Taco Bell recently expanded upon its existing relationship with the recycling company TerraCycle. Through the partnership, Taco Bell customers can download a prepaid shipping label and send their used hot sauce packets – from any brand – to TerraCycle. The company then cleans and melts the packets down into hard plastics that are used to make new products. For Taco Bell alone, sauce packets amount to significant waste: The brand says it goes through about eight million packets annually and it now aims to make all of its consumer-facing packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025. Restaurant Business reports that when consumers send in their used packets, they can earn points that can be donated to a nonprofit, school or charity of their choice. Much like how a consumer buying an item from Amazon can direct a portion of proceeds from the purchase to their chosen charity, Taco Bell is making it easy for customers to give back – and to also feel good about buying a meal from Taco Bell. As you look for ways to reduce your waste – whether that includes excess food, takeout packaging or something else – how can you ensure your efforts have positive effects beyond your brand? Doing so may have an even more positive impact on your brand than it would have otherwise.

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