Combating Food Waste

Growing up, “clean your plate” was the rule at the dinner table. We were taught the importance of not wasting food, along with the reminder that countless people go hungry all over the world. While our leftovers wouldn’t go very far, in the hospitality industry we can indeed make a difference.

Did you know that 33% of all food is wasted? Not only does the direct waste of food have a negative environmental impact, but producing that food also has a secondary impact as it uses an incredible amount of water, soil, nutrients, and energy. To put it in perspective, imagine if 1/3 of all your events were cancelled. Additionally, when food waste ends up in a landfill, it produces large volumes of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that has negative effects on the environment. As event planners and catering professionals, we can play a large role in reducing this waste.

Best Practices

Source reduction is a key impactor. Don’t load up your buffets! Work with your caterer to keep food in coolers or hot boxes as long as possible, replenishing as needed. Smaller batch cooking can also aide in waste reduction. Food held at safe temperatures and not exposed to contamination can have a second life as a food donation to fight hunger.

Case study - Sodexo at the Museum of Science and Industry has donated over 10,000 meals since 2016. All donated food supports Helping Arms Outreach Ministries, which provides transitional housing to help break the cycle of homelessness on the South Side of Chicago.

Have your caterer write menus with scraps and off- cuts of meat in mind. Kitchens can make stock from shells, bones, and vegetable scraps. Panzanella and croutons are a great secondary use for bread. Through education you can even engage guests and clients on food waste reduction by showcasing beet-greens, carrot tops, or less-common cuts of proteins in recipes.  

Track your waste. Waste Watch (powered by LeanPath) is one of Sodexo’s Best Practices for tracking back-of-house waste. Complete with cameras to observe what is being wasted, and sophisticated trend-identification, Waste Watch has been shown to reduce kitchen waste by up to 50%. For lower tech kitchens, keep a log of food thrown away at the end of an event, and set goals for reduction. If food waste is high, consider smaller portion sizes. Pre-portioning on buffets can also help guests take only what they’ll eat.

Compost! Commercial compost hauling is now available in many areas. While composting onsite may be an option for some, hauling opens up composting to the rest of us. In many cases, food scraps can be picked up much like trash, taken to a composter, and within 30 days turned into a rich soil.

Becoming Food Recovery Verified can also help communicate your commitments to your team and clients.  Each of us can make a positive industry impact in reducing food waste.

Here are some resources you can utilize to implement these strategies in your environment.

Resources

• Sodexo Corporate Responsibility Landing Page:http://www.sodexo.com/home/corporate-responsibility.html
• EPA guide for reducing food waste and packaging:https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/reducing_wasted_food_pkg_tool.pdf
• UNFAO report on food waste:http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/mb060e/mb060e00.pdf
• USGBC TRUE Zero-waste program: https://true.gbci.org/
• Food Recovery Verified: https://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/frv