Local restaurant serving up hot tips for waste diversion

Do you have reservations about reporting business waste? 

Jeff and Allison Gliege, co-owners of Firestone Restaurant and Bar, felt overwhelmed when the City introduced its mandatory recycling and mandatory organics program. Rather than fear it, they gave it a shot – and quickly realized it wasn’t as daunting as it seemed. 

“When we first heard about the program and its requirements, we were dreading it,” says Allison. “There are so many moving parts to a restaurant, and this felt like another big thing to add to our to-do list. But once we got started, we realized it was nowhere near as bad as we first thought.” 

The Glieges started by making small changes to their kitchen, like providing separate bins for food, recyclables and garbage. Then, they made sure their staff were brought up to speed with the changes through training and cheat sheets. 

“When we onboard new staff, we walk them through the different types of bins and show them which ones are for garbage, recycling or organics,” says Jeff. “We have signs around the kitchen and staff areas as reminders for what type of waste goes where. It works well for us and our team is happy to contribute.” 

They arranged for a private waste hauler to empty their outdoor bins on a regular basis. 

“Our waste hauler is flexible and able to accommodate our needs,” says Jeff. “We serve about 5,000 restaurant guests every week, so our organics bin needs to be emptied three to four times in that span.” 

The Glieges don’t limit their sustainability efforts to the kitchen. When they sat down to think of other ways they could reduce waste, they saw another opportunity to tidy their process up. 

“We wanted to find a more sustainable solution to paper towels because they are expensive and produce lots of waste,” says Jeff. “We installed automated hand dryers in our washrooms, which were more expensive up front but saved money and cut down on waste in the long-term.” 

By being proactive and implementing simple waste diversion practices, the Glieges now believe that submitting an end-of-year report is a piece of cake. 

“Completing the online report is quick and easy. As soon as I heard the reporting portal was open, I went in and got it done,” says Allison.  

“We appreciate the work that goes into making meaningful changes to manage waste and identify opportunities to divert it from our landfill,” says Lisa Sutherland, Waste Diversion Coordinator. “By implementing these practices, they help us get closer to our waste diversion targets. This effort deserves recognition as it not only reflects a job well done but also contributes to the bigger picture.” 

Lethbridge is home to more than 2,900 businesses, institutions and private organizations. Whether large, small, family-owned, part of a national corporation, for-profit, or a charitable organization, all businesses fall under the Mandatory Recycling and Mandatory Organics provisions within the City of Lethbridge’s Waste Bylaw 6146. Home-based businesses are exempt from the mandatory requirements, as they follow the residential waste, organics and recycling program. The bylaw requires businesses to complete an annual waste report which is due on January 31, 2025.  

To access the free tools and resources designed to assist with these requirements, including the online waste report submission portal, go to lethbridge.ca/businesswaste. 

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