Checklist template

Waste, recycling and single-use plastics for quick-service restaurants

A ready-to-use checklist with 102 items in 6 sections, covering Single-use items and packaging, Customer-facing bins and signage, Back-of-house sorting, Organics and food waste, Grease and used oil, Haulers and records. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 102 Items
  • 82 Yes / No checks
  • 7 Scored ratings
  • 117 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Single-use items and packaging 19 items

  1. No single-use plastic checkout bags are provided to customers Yes / No 1 pt
  2. No single-use plastic cutlery covered by the federal prohibition is provided Yes / No 1 pt
  3. No single-use plastic stir sticks are provided Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Plastic straws are not offered, except flexible straws provided on request for accessibility needs Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Flexible plastic straws kept for accessibility are stored out of customer view and reach Yes / No 1 pt
  6. No foodservice ware made from expanded or extruded polystyrene foam, or other prohibited plastics, is in use Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No plastic ring carriers are used for multi-pack beverages Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Remaining stock of prohibited items has been removed from the site Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Replacement items such as paper straws, wooden cutlery and fibre containers are the approved products Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Cutlery, straws, napkins and condiment packets are provided only on request or by self-serve where local bylaws require it Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A fee is charged for paper or reusable bags where local bylaws require it Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Customers' own reusable cups are accepted according to the company procedure Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Reusable dishware is offered for dine-in orders where local bylaws require it Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Kiosks, the mobile app and delivery platforms ask customers whether they need cutlery and accessories Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Packaging labelled compostable or recyclable matches what local programs accept Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Employees can explain the rules on single-use items to customers Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Number of prohibited single-use items found on site Number
  18. Prohibited items found, if any Short text
  19. Employee knowledge of the single-use item rules Rating
    • All employees asked know 5 pts
    • Some know 3 pts
    • None know 1 pt

2. Customer-facing bins and signage 16 items

  1. Dining room waste stations have separate streams for garbage, recycling and organics where local programs exist Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Bin openings are colour-coded and labelled consistently throughout the restaurant Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Signs on bins show pictures of the actual packaging used by the restaurant Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Bin signage is in French and English where required Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Waste stations are clean, with no overflow Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Waste stations are checked and emptied on a schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Liquid and ice disposal is available at the waste stations Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Tray return areas are tidy Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Exterior and drive-thru lane bins are in place, clean and emptied Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Exterior recycling bins are provided where local bylaws require them Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The parking lot and landscaping are free of litter Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A litter pick-up of the property and adjacent sidewalk is done on a schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Beverage container return or deposit information is displayed where the provincial deposit system requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Number of waste stations in the dining room Number
  15. Contamination observed in the dining room recycling stream Rating
    • Little or none 5 pts
    • Moderate 3 pts
    • Heavy 1 pt
  16. Condition of the customer-facing waste stations Rating
    • Clean and clearly signed 5 pts
    • Acceptable 3 pts
    • Dirty or confusing 1 pt

3. Back-of-house sorting 16 items

  1. Cardboard is flattened and recycled separately Yes / No 1 pt
  2. A cardboard baler or dedicated cardboard bin is available and used Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Baler operators are trained and meet the minimum age set by provincial rules Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Plastic film and shrink wrap are collected separately where a program exists Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Rigid plastic containers such as sauce jugs and pails are rinsed and recycled Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Metal cans are rinsed and recycled Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Deposit beverage containers are collected for return Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Each kitchen station has clearly labelled bins for each stream Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Bin liners are colour-coded by stream Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Streams stay separated when bags are taken out to the exterior containers Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Employees are trained on waste sorting at onboarding Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A sorting guide is posted in the kitchen Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Batteries, light bulbs and electronic waste are stored and disposed of through an approved program Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Empty chemical containers are rinsed and disposed of according to the safety data sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Sorting accuracy observed in the kitchen bins Rating
    • Accurate 5 pts
    • Some errors 3 pts
    • Not sorted 1 pt
  16. Comments on back-of-house sorting Comments

4. Organics and food waste 15 items

  1. Food waste is collected separately for organics collection where the municipality or province requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Organics bins in the kitchen are lined with approved bags and have lids Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Organics bins are emptied at least daily and washed regularly Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Coffee grounds and filters are placed in the organics stream Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Packaging is removed from food waste before it enters the organics stream Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Food waste is recorded on the waste log by product and reason Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Production charts are followed to limit overproduction Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Surplus edible food is donated through an approved food rescue program where one is in place Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Donated food is handled, stored and recorded according to food safety requirements Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Food waste results are reviewed with the team Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Exterior organics containers are closed and free of pests and odours Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Organics containers are serviced often enough in warm weather to prevent odours Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Estimated food waste for the last week (kg) Number
  14. Number of organics collections per week Number
  15. Use of the organics stream Rating
    • Consistently used 5 pts
    • Partly used 3 pts
    • Not used 1 pt

5. Grease and used oil 17 items

  1. Used cooking oil is stored in a dedicated closed tank or container Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The used oil storage area is clean, with no spills or leaks Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The used oil container is locked or secured against theft Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Used cooking oil is collected by a licensed renderer or recycler Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Used oil collection receipts or manifests are on file Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Oil is never poured into drains, garbage containers or onto the ground Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A spill kit is available near the used oil storage Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The grease interceptor is cleaned at the frequency required by the municipal sewer bylaw Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Date of the last grease interceptor cleaning Date
  10. Grease interceptor cleaning records are on file and available for the municipal inspector Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The grease interceptor is accessible and its cover is secure Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Sink strainers are in place to keep food solids out of the drains Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Hood filters are cleaned on schedule and their wash water goes through the grease interceptor Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Floor drains are clear and free of grease build-up Yes / No 1 pt
  15. There is no grease staining around the exterior containers or enclosure Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Volume of used cooking oil collected last month (litres) Number
  17. Condition of the used oil and grease area Rating
    • Clean and secure 5 pts
    • Minor spills 3 pts
    • Poor 1 pt

6. Haulers and records 19 items

  1. Waste, recycling and organics collection contracts are in place and on file Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Collection frequency is adequate and containers do not overflow between collections Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Exterior containers are in good condition with closing lids Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The waste enclosure is clean, the gates close and the area is free of loose litter Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Containers are labelled by stream Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The enclosure is kept locked where illegal dumping is a problem Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Missed collections and contamination notices from haulers are logged and addressed Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Hauler invoices are reviewed for extra charges such as contamination or overweight fees Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Waste diversion data is reported to head office as required Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Waste diversion rate for the last period (%) Number
  11. A waste audit and reduction work plan has been completed where provincial rules require it for the size of the business Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Packaging stewardship or extended producer responsibility reporting is handled at company level and site data is supplied on request Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Municipal waste bylaw notices or fines have been answered and resolved Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Number of bylaw notices or hauler contamination notices since the last visit Number
  15. Corrective actions from the previous waste review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Date of the previous waste review Date
  17. Name of the manager on duty Short text
  18. Overall waste and recycling performance Rating
    • Strong 5 pts
    • Adequate 3 pts
    • Weak 1 pt
  19. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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