Cutting Down Wasteful Practices Inside And Outside Your Ice Cream Shop
It might seem odd to be thinking of ice cream in the dead of winter, but we can assure you that no season eclipses the universal love of favorite frozen treats. Sure, June is the month the most ice cream is produced, but people enjoy it year-round.
Let's step back to June real quick when lines are long and people are eagerly awaiting their frozen desserts as an answer to the heat. We're swift to ignore the overflowing garbage cans that have become unfortunately common at ice cream establishments.
We love our frozen desserts, but we also love the earth and want to do better at cutting down on the waste we create.
It might seem like a futile task, but there are a few ways ice cream shop owners can minimize waste at their own shops. Let's look at some helpful tips.
Be Minimal
Being a champion against garbage mountains begins with how you approach your own shop. We know that fully eliminating ice cream spoons, clear plastic cups, to go cups, and other common disposable ice cream shop supplies  neither realistic nor prudent.
Instead, when ordering those disposable supplies, ensure you're not buying in excess. We want your shop to be fully stocked, but you know what your shop needs and what is overkill. Tread the line of minimalism and you've already reduced the number of things that will eventually be thrown out.
Ration By Individual Need
Once you've monitored how you stock your own shop, it's time to look to the masses. They're the ones who are generally guilty of the most wasteful practices. Again, it's up to you to circumvent that.
Keep disposable supplies behind the counter, out of reach of the public. We've seen too many people grab fistsful of ice cream spoons and the like, only for them to find their way into the garbage somewhere later.
When people need something that is disposable, keep them with you and give them out on an as-needed basis.
Consider switching to wholesale paper takeout containers with lids as an alternative to traditional single-use plastic options. Not only are they more eco-friendly, but buying in bulk ensures your shop is well-supplied while remaining conscious of waste reduction.
Pay Attention, Outside And Inside
Curbing wasteful practices begins and ends with human beings paying attention and encouraging others to do so too. Start with yourself and the staff at your shop. Teach sustainable practices and teach them to encourage those practices to ice cream loving patrons.
People will follow the road to minimize waste, they just need to be shown the way. You'd be surprised at how far friendly words and encouraging signs can go toward better environmental practices. Make it known.
Try not to think of this as merely taking a few plastic ice cream spoons out of the trash. Small efforts like these are exactly what we need to make a positive impact on the earth, all while people are enjoying their favorite frozen treats.
