Free template
Waste log
One line per item that goes in the bin. The reason column is the part that pays for itself: overproduction, spoilage, trim and error each need a different fix.
How to use it
- 01Keep the sheet and a pen by the bin. Waste written up in the office is waste guessed at.
- 02One line per item, at the moment it is thrown, by whoever throws it.
- 03Use the same four reasons every time so the week adds up.
- 04On Sunday, total each reason and change one thing in prep or ordering.
Waste log
Site ______________ Week beginning ____ / ____ / ______
Swipe the sheet sideways to see every column.
| Item | Quantity | Reason | Date | By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Four reasons, kept to four so the totals mean something: overproduction, spoilage, prep trim, service error.
- Weigh it where you can and count it where you cannot. A consistent estimate beats a blank line.
- Total each reason on Sunday. The largest one is next week's job.
Completed by ____________________ Time ______ Checked by ____________________
This is a working sheet, not a legal record. Set your own targets and frequencies, and keep whatever your local authority asks you to keep.
Restaurant Operations Audit
One sheet fixes one part of the day. Which part of your operation is most exposed?
The Audit is 9 questions about how you open, close, clean, log temperatures, hand over and track waste. It takes about 3 minutes on a phone. You get a scored report back: where you are exposed, what to fix first, and what a good standard looks like for your type of site.
Every line in the report is traceable to something you told us. It is free, and it makes no claim about your legal or food-safety position.
Start the free Audit