Our Approach
Skylark Group recognizes its responsibility to produce and use food responsibly, and works to reduce food loss.
- We will reduce food loss in central kitchens and at stores.
- We will prepare an environment where customers can choose to minimize leftovers.
- We will recycle food appropriately and proactively.
We believe that the Group will have a significant negative impact on the global environment by continuing to generate food loss through errors in ordering and inventory control, not offering customers a menu with a choice of portions, and increasing the amount of leftover food due to not preparing to-go containers.
In response, we have set “reduction of food loss” as our materiality (important issue), formulated the above policy, set KPI, and are promoting improvement by implementing initiatives.
Targets
| Short-term Target |
Improve intensity (per unit sales) by at least 1% per year on average |
| Medium-term Target |
50% reduction from 2018 levels by 2030 |
| Long-term Target |
75% reduction from 2018 levels by 2050 |
The Food Recycling Law requires the "cafeteria/restaurant" industry to reduce food waste to 170 kg/million yen (per net sales) or less. Our group has set a high target of further improvement of 1% or more every year against 73.67kg/million yen in 2018.
Risks/Opportunities
Indicators/KPI
Measuring the Amount of Food Loss
Based on daily order and inventory data, the amount of food loss is calculated for each store and ingredient. We also calculate the amount of waste for each store based on waste volume measurement data.
Based on these data, we implement product management plans and operational guidance tailored to the characteristics of each store (location and number of items) to reduce food loss.
Example of Activities
Initiatives in Our Central Kitchens
When processing food ingredients in our central kitchens, we set KPIs on yield loss for each vegetable in order to reduce food loss. For example, we try to reduce the amount of waste by reviewing the cutting method for onions used for dumplings and thereby reducing portions that had been thrown away and utilizing portions of green onions close to the root for soup stock and not letting much go to waste. Another approach to reducing waste is employee education. We provide our employees with manuals which give detailed guidance on procedures such as the order for measuring ingredients and order for injecting ingredients for increased accuracy of ingredient management in order to reduce processing and measurement errors while maintaining quality.
In addition, we effectively control inventory expiration dates and ensure to use ingredients before they expire. Any off-specification products that are manufactured are sold to employees or served in our employee cafeteria in an effort to reduce food loss.
In our central kitchens, we measure our initiatives quantitatively and continue to make improvements. Furthermore, by increasing the ratio of highly processed products which are processed internally in our centerral kitchens, we are reducing cooking operations in stores as well as reducing food loss at the store level.
Despite the above initiatives, some food waste is still generated. Food waste that is generated is recycled into fertilizers or animal feed, and the food recycling rate in our central kitchens is 90%.
Initiatives at the Store Level
We manage our store inventory with an automated ordering system which appropriately controls the order quantity of various food ingredients. And this is made possible through our daily delivery system to our stores.
Our store inventory is strictly managed by storing food ingredients in an appropriate way and keeping track of expiration dates. To optimize shelf-life, we review our manufacturing processes and storage temperatures, and extend food expiration dates based on scientific evidence. On the other hand, if a cooking mistake occurs, we ensure to serve customers with products of consistent quality by cooking the product again from the start without hesitation. To minimize such mistakes in cooking and measuring, we educate and train our employees through cooking manuals which are easy to understand using videos and images, and held an online “Food Loss Reduction Study Session” for store employees in May 2023 to supplement knowledge and share countermeasure examples for reduction. In addition, since each store generates different amounts and types of waste, reduction measures and KPIs are determined for each individual store during monthly meetings with superiors and are linked to actions.
In this way, we are strengthening employee education and training for waste reduction.
We have also devised ways to ensure that customers can enjoy just the right amount of rice, such as making it possible to select the amount of rice they want to eat. We have also made it possible for customers to order only the main item of set meals.
For those who still have leftovers, "Mottainai Packs" are available for take-out upon request (some all-you-can-eat brands and take-out of uncooked foods are not eligible). Customers can request the Mottainai Pack by clicking on the dedicated button in the digital menu book.
Food Waste Reduction Subcommittee
A food waste reduction subcommittee was established in 2022 as a subordinate organization of the Group Sustainability Committee to work on food waste reduction across the entire company.
The subcommittee has been working to reduce waste through the following initiatives.
Accurate Calculations
The amount and type of waste generated at the stores used to be weighed only by the company itself, but we have asked our suppliers to weigh our waste as well to obtain more accurate data, which will lead to reduction measures.
Establishment of annual reduction KPIs
Based on accurate waste volume calculations, we set KPIs for annual reductions and report quarterly on waste volume and reduction efforts to the Sustainability Committee.
Initiatives to Reduce
As an example of our initiatives, we launched the “Komamedori Project” to reduce food waste at all Shabu-shabu all-you-can-eat “Syabu-yo” restaurants. The project proposed an “environmentally friendly way of eating” that addresses the social issue of food loss.
Recycle
At the factories, vegetable and meat scraps are recycled into fertilizer or feed, and the recycling rate is approximately 90%. At our stores, waste cooking oil is 100% recycled into feed, oil and fat products. Our subcommittee is conducting research on the recycling of waste materials other than waste cooking oil.
Waste Reduction
In addition to the food waste mentioned above, we are also promoting the reduction of plastic waste. The Group Sustainability Committee and two subcommittees under the Committee, the “Packaging Materials Review Subcommittee” and “Consumables Reduction Subcommittee,” are playing a central role in reducing disposable plastic waste.
These two subcommittees were formed in 2021 and have been working to reduce disposable container packaging, plastic bags, and trash bags for delivery and take-out by changing and optimizing the size and thickness of these materials, as well as by charging for disposable cutlery and plastic bags.
We will further promote efforts to achieve our target of a 50% reduction from the 2020 level by 2026.