Composting in Manchester Kitchens: A Simple Step with Big Impact
- Wednesday, February 11, 2026
- Posted By The Growth Company
David Amesbury, CEO of Open Kitchen has created a guide to composting for hospitality businesses across Greater Manchester to help reduce food waste and support sustainability goals.
Reducing food waste is becoming a growing priority for Manchester’s hotels, restaurants, cafés, and catering businesses. While cutting waste at source should always come first, composting unavoidable food waste is one of the most effective ways kitchens can lower their environmental impact, meet local waste expectations, and support the city’s wider sustainability goals.
The good news? Composting doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right setup, it can fit smoothly into everyday kitchen operations.
Composting works best when it supports not replaces food waste reduction. Simple steps like better stock management, menu planning, and staff awareness can significantly reduce the amount of food ending up in the bin in the first place.
Clear food waste separation is essential. The simplest systems are often the most successful they should be quick, intuitive, and never slow service down.
At Open Kitchen, for example, food waste is separated so coffee grounds, vegetable peelings and offcuts, and eggshells are collected and dropped off at a local allotment compost. Clear labelling and team engagement make it easy.
Staff training should cover:
Most Manchester hospitality businesses compost through specialist food waste collection services rather than on-site composting. When choosing a provider, it’s worth asking:
Many services process food waste through composting or anaerobic digestion, turning it into compost, energy, or fertiliser.
Composting alone won’t solve food waste, but it’s a practical, achievable step for Manchester’s hospitality sector. By keeping systems simple, engaging staff, and working with the right partners, kitchens can reduce landfill waste, cut emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable local food system one service at a time.