Restaurants
2 min read
By Pedro Carreira
Updated 25 June 2026
Meal prep companies generate food prep waste from bulk cooking (the largest stream by weight), container packaging, ingredient packaging, and general waste.
A company producing 500+ meals daily generates 100–250kg of food waste. Monthly waste: $400–1,000.
Food prep waste should be composted. Use recyclable meal containers and offer a container return program.
Off-spec meals can be donated to food rescue organisations.
Key Numbers
- Food waste at 500+ meals/day: 100–250kg
- Typical monthly waste: $400–1,000
- Metro landfill levy (2025–26): $169.79/tonne
- Statewide diversion target: 80% by 2030
What You Need to Know
Bulk cooking makes food prep waste the heaviest stream in a meal prep business — a company producing 500+ meals daily generates 100–250kg of it. Because waste is billed by weight, that single stream dictates the whole bill, so composting it instead of landfilling it is the difference between a controlled cost and an inflated one.
- Food prep waste — compost it; the dominant stream by weight
- Off-spec meals — donate to food rescue organisations, not the bin
- Container packaging — choose recyclable and run a container-return programme
- Ingredient packaging — separate clean recyclables from organics
Every tonne diverted from landfill avoids the metro $169.79/tonne levy and counts toward Victoria's 80%-by-2030 diversion goal under the FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) Policy. Bundle Waste audits your invoice for free, benchmarks a network of providers to right-size your organics and general streams, and is paid only from the savings we find.
Related Resources
Related Questions
What is the cost of waste management for restaurants in Melbourne?+
Melbourne restaurants typically spend $400–1,200/month on waste management: general waste $150–350, food organics $80–200, recycling $60–150, cooking oil $40–80, and grease trap servicing $150–400/quarter. High-volume venues (300+ covers/day) can exceed $1,500/month. Bundle Waste restaurant audits typically save up to 30%.
How much does grease trap servicing cost in Melbourne?+
Grease trap servicing in Melbourne costs $150–400 per service depending on trap size. A standard 1,000L trap costs $150–250, a 2,000L trap $250–400. Most food businesses need monthly or quarterly servicing. Failure to maintain grease traps can breach your trade-waste agreement, leading to penalties or suspension of your discharge consent by your water authority (such as South East Water or Yarra Valley Water).
How can restaurants reduce food waste?+
Strategies: track waste by type, menu engineering for whole ingredients, portion control, FIFO rotation, specials for near-expiry items, donate surplus to OzHarvest (free, tax deductible), staff meals. Reducing waste 20% saves $500–2,000/month in food costs.
What is the levy impact on food businesses?+
Food businesses generate 40–60% organic waste. At $169.79/tonne, a restaurant sending 1 tonne/month of food waste to landfill pays $1,507/year in levy alone. Composting at $100–160/tonne eliminates this completely.
How should a Melbourne meal kit delivery company manage waste?+
Meal kit companies generate: food prep waste at production facility (compostable), ice pack waste (check recyclability), insulated packaging (some are recyclable), damaged ingredients, and general waste. Customer-side packaging waste is a growing concern. Use recyclable or compostable packaging to differentiate. Production facility waste: $500–2,000/month. Offer packaging take-back programs for customer retention and sustainability.
See exactly what you are overpaying
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Updated 25 June 2026
