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Recycling has become an essential part of a restaurateur and hotelier's education. Aside from the compelling moral component, there is a compelling financial one as well. According to the 1991 National Restaurant Association Recycling Survey, trash disposal has been one of the fastest growing costs in the food business. In the nationwide survey of restaurants, 60% of the establishments surveyed reported increased waste collection or disposal costs (Associated Press, New York Times 1994).Hotels and restaurants are taking to heart Nevada Governor Bob Miller's words from an August 1995 conference on Sustainable Growth, "Protecting the environment is a priority of my administration. Recycling works to achieve this goal and to protect future finite resources. For much of Nevada and much of the nation, recycling is a major economic development opportunity. Businesses which reduce waste are more efficient and competitive."
Most recycling programs in Las Vegas were implemented as a means for hotels and restaurants to reduce their waste disposal costs, improve their efficiency, and remain competitive in the constantly changing hospitality industry. Recycling helps restaurants and hotels control rising waste hauling and disposal costs, by reducing the need for waste hauling. Restaurants in the UNLV/CCHD study reduced their waste hauling fees an average of $3,740.30 per year. Individual restaurant savings ranged from $0 (recycling program costs were equal to savings) to $20,647.52 every year--just by recycling!
In addition to the savings on waste hauling fees, one of the largest incentives for recycling in Las vegas hotels will continue to be the recovery of unintended throwaways. The recovery of silverware, dishes, linens, and other hotel property can amount to tens of thousands of dollars saved every year. Many hotels save more money on the recovery of these materials than on the reduced waste hauling fees as a result of recycling.
Like many other resort communities, Las Vegas must deal with the waste from the industry that supports the local economy. Although most guests are unaware of the effort of the local hospitality industry to operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, hotels and restaurants in Las Vegas are increasingly making the commitment to find ways to reduce the amount of waste they generate and recycle all possible materials.
The largest challenge at this time is overcoming the lack of available resources in Clark County to assist restaurants with recycling program development and implementation. Hotels have the benefit of two capable recycling companies, Waste Management Inc./RC Farms and Silver State Disposal to meet their recycling and waste hauling needs. Restaurants, though smaller in volume, have similar specialized waste streams that need to be targeted for increased recycling participation.
Since the county-wide elimination of Silver State Disposal's office paper recycling program in October 1996, overall recycling participation by businesses in Las Vegas has decreased. Restaurants, all of whom generate a significant amount of recyclable materials, would be ideal candidates to target in a county-wide recycling education program. This will take a commitment on behalf of the Clark County Health District, and cooperation between Silver State Disposal and local recyclers--neither of which is evident at this time.
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