Why food waste management is no longer optional in professional kitchens

An interview with Art Huisjes, General Manager at Rendisk (Metos Group).

In professional kitchens, performance is traditionally measured by speed, capacity and output. Processes such as dish handling and food waste management regularly receive less attention, even though this is exactly where significant gains can be made. 

According to Art Huisjes, General Manager at Rendisk, this is a missed opportunity. He no longer sees food waste management as a side issue, but as an essential component of a future-proof kitchen.

In this interview, Art explains how smart dish handling and waste solutions create control across the entire operation, how it reduces pressure on staff, and lowers the impact on costs and the environment. And how, with the right approach, food waste can be reduced by up to 80%.

From dishwashing logistics to food waste management

For decades, Rendisk has specialized in dishwashing logistics: organizing and optimizing the flow of dishes in professional sculleries. But over time, one recurring issue became impossible to ignore.

“The biggest bottleneck was rarely the dishwashing process itself,” Huisjes explains. “It was about the leftovers and how the waste moved through the building.”

Previously, all types of waste were thrown together in a single waste bin, such as food residues, plastic, and other materials. As a result, waste containers filled up quickly. Emptying these containers costs both time and money.
That observation led to a fundamental shift in thinking. Instead of optimizing only the cleaning process, Rendisk began to focus on food waste handling as an integrated part of kitchen logistics.

The result was the Solus Eco: a standalone solution that grinds food waste and separates solids from liquids, resulting in significantly reduced volumes. Thanks to its compact size, the Solus Eco can be integrated into any professional kitchen.

Customization as a starting point

Customization has always been central to Rendisk’s approach and according to Huisjes, it is essential.
“Every site is different. Take Asia versus Europe: different logistics, different regulations, different volumes, different waste disposal methods and, of course, a different climate. You simply cannot design one standard solution and expect it to work everywhere.”

That is why Rendisk always starts at the operational level. What actually happens in the kitchen? Where do waiting times, extra handling or unnecessary movements occur?

Based on this analysis, a solution is designed that can range from food waste management to complete optimization of dishwashing and tray-handling processes. These are solutions with a measurable impact and a quick return on investment.

Impact across the entire chain

The impact of these solutions goes far beyond the kitchen itself. Art gives a concrete example:
“If you go from five waste bins a day to just one, it may sound like a little impact. But the effect is huge: less internal handling, fewer trips outside, fewer collection moments, fewer transport kilometers and a lower carbon footprint from waste processing.”

With the Solus Eco, this impact can be substantial. In practice, up to 80% of food waste is reduced.

“And that reduction translates directly into savings. Not just environmental savings, but time, space and operational costs.”

It is precisely this “chain impact” that makes food waste management so interesting. The benefits are not limited to the operator, but extend to waste collection, logistics and processing as well.

“That’s why I call it chain impact,” Art explains. “You’re not optimizing a single link, but the entire process.”

Smart dish handling as an answer to staff shortages

In addition to waste solutions, dish handling remains a key focus area for Rendisk especially in a market where good staff is hard to find and expensive.

“Many kitchens still rely on processes that simply require too many actions: walking, lifting, stacking, waiting,” Art explains. Smart dishwashing solutions don't necessarily replace people, but they do reduce labor intensity and allow other staff to be deployed more efficiently and differently. By redesigning workflows, kitchens become less dependent on additional staff and more resilient in daily operations.

“It’s not a short-term fix,” Art says. “It’s a structural investment in continuity.”

Where Rendisk makes the difference

Rendisk truly excels in projects and environments where customization and integration are essential: corporate and retail restaurants, cruise ships, hotels & resorts, hospitals and large healthcare facilities.

Wherever dish handling and waste streams create friction, an integrated approach can unlock efficiency.
But when it comes specifically to food waste, Art is clear:

“Every professional kitchen can benefit from a Solus Eco.”

Take the cruise industry, for example. For many years, the reality was simple: large amounts of kitchen waste were generated on board, and part of it, consciously or not, ended up in the sea. This has, of course, a serious impact on the environment, which has led to increasing pressure to organize waste differently.

This is exactly where the importance of logistics became clear. By processing waste more intelligently and compactly using solutions such as the Solus Eco, more waste can be stored on board and discharged in port. The result: less waste ending up in the ocean during voyages.

From waste to savings

Finally, Art has a clear message for facility managers and kitchen teams:

“Look at your waste stream as a process, not as a side issue. What does it currently cost you in terms of time, space and money?”

Once those costs become visible, the savings become visible as well.

“Then ‘waste to savings’ suddenly becomes very tangible,” he concludes.

About Rendisk

Rendisk is a Dutch company headquartered in Deventer and has been active since the early 1970s. What started as manufacturer for dishwashing logistics and has grown into a specialist in customized solutions for dishwashing logistics and food waste management systems in and around professional kitchens and dishwash areas.

Today, Rendisk is part of the Metos Group, which in turn is part of the ALI Group. Rendisk is the manufacturing brand, with sales through a global dealer and distribution network.

Read more about Rendisk