The restaurant's recycling and waste reduction program began by separating out recyclable materials from the dumpster. This included cardboard, glass, and aluminum tin cans. A cardboard baler and containers for the glass and cans were placed next to the dumpster making it easier for employees to remember to recycle rather than discard recyclable materials. Recyclable materials are picked up by independent haulers at a cost that is substantially less than disposal costs. Therefore, reducing the amount of waste placed into the dumpster generates cost savings. The next step in the waste reduction program was to reduce the amount of food waste discarded in the dumpster. The head chef uses a computerized system for monitoring food inventory, amount of food used per meal, and the percent waste per meal. This helped to minimize food waste generated in food preparation.