Taking out the garbage doesn’t mean what it once did to restaurateurs participating in a fast-growing industry trend. They aim to keep trash out of landfills by composting whatever rubbish their operations can’t recycle. 

The objective is what proponents call a zero waste zone: a restaurant with nothing to haul to the dump. That means less material flowing into landfills and the promise of lower carting fees for restaurateurs.

Advocates stress that an empty garbage can is the ideal, not a goal instantly achieved.  They offer this advice for restaurants looking to work toward that end by composting:

• Survey what resources are available. Composting rookies say the biggest challenge is finding a facility that can handle the decomposition of restaurant waste.  See if one is operating in your area by looking on websites such as FindAComposter.com. Or check what reference services your state might offer. Most have sustainability or pollution-reduction departments that are eager to help, says Holly Elmore, a former caterer who heads Zero Waste Zones, an Atlanta-based composting assistance group. 

• Network. If a service isn’t available or doesn’t fit your needs, share your predicament with other green-minded locals. They might know of resources you missed. Evan Mallett, chef-owner of the Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, N.H., was stymied until he went to a sustainability group’s mixer. There, he bumped into someone who needed restaurants as composting customers. Now Mallett gets daily pick-ups of his organic waste.

• Lead the charge if necessary. If a composting facility isn’t available, speak with other interested parties about starting one, advises the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Demonstrate demand for a local composting program to potential allies such as waste-handling organizations, recyclers or the mayor or town manager, the agency says. They could be instrumental in rallying enough grassroots support to start a local program.