Traditional catering practices at events can have a huge impact on the environment. This is mainly down to food waste, sourcing local ingredients and balancing dietary requirements. Did you know, the average event wastes between 15% – 20% of the food it produces, much of which is still edible. In this article, we explore the sustainable challenges we face in catering as well as solutions to help to reduce wastage.
Challenges and solutions in catering sustainability
Balancing attendee dietary needs with sustainability is a huge challenge in the events industry. It involves integrating environmental factors with social and economical responsibilities into food service operations. Here’s our top challenges and how to face them:
Managing food waste
This is probably one of the biggest issues when it comes to catering at events and is usually down to over ordering. So we’ve gathered our top 10 tips on managing food waste to help you:
Finally, communicate with your team on strategies to reduce waste across all stages. That way, everybody is on board and working towards the same goal.
- Purchase food locally where possible to reduce the chance of spoilage. This will also ensure that food spends less time in storage and transit which also helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Go for seasonal menus. These are menus that are based on ingredients available at different times of the year. It helps to ensure that you are using the freshest ingredients during that season, to help reduce the chances of food spoiling.
- Balance dietary requirements by asking about them in advance. You can send out surveys to your attendees to reduce the chances of food wastage by letting them know about the menu options ahead of time. This is also a good way to build relationships with your attendees to ensure their needs are met.
- Place new items at the back of storage facilities and ensure regular stock checks are complete. This helps venues to ensure that they are only buying what they need.
- Reduce the portion size to help reduce waste. For those who might want more food, you can hold food in reserve so that it can be easily repurposed. Unconsumed food becomes harder to repurpose for food and hygiene safety reasons.
- Make use of biodegradable tableware including biodegradable paper cups, takeaway containers, cutlery, and straws. These are created to disintegrate into harmless organic material and are more eco-friendly than traditional plastic options.
- Donate your food after the event. Food donation provides food to those in the community who need it most. Not only does this minimise chances of food waste going to landfills, but it also creates a positive brand association.
- Ensure you have plenty of water stations. Keep your guests hydrated as well as avoid single-use plastic water bottles by providing guests with reusable bottles. This is also a great branding opportunity for sponsors or exhibitors.
- When it comes to leftover food, try to send the food to a recycling plant rather than landfill. It’s often overlooked that decomposing food releases harmful gases into the atmosphere. Venues can also supply in-house food composters to reduce carbon being released in transit. In-house food composters turn leftover food into liquid which can then be used to generate renewable energy.
- Finally, communicate with your team on strategies to reduce waste across all stages. That way, everybody is on board and working towards the same goal.
Who did it well?
London’s Harrow School.
Pioneering sustainable practices, Harrow has fully integrated ethical sourcing in its catering department, utilising locally sourced ingredients for their events. They ensure support for local farmers, condensing the supply chain for a lower carbon footprint.
The Glastonbury Festival
Offering an array of ethically sourced, vegetarian and vegan food outlets, Glastonbury uses compostable cutlery, bolsters local economy by sourcing regionally and actively discourages non-ecofriendly food vendors on their premises.
Find out more here.
Long-term benefits of eco-friendly catering
Enhances attendee experience
Not only are attendees given healthier and fresher meals from locally sourced ingredients, it also makes attendees feel valued and respected. Food is always a highlight when it comes to an event, and it helps to ensure a memorable experience. You can also encourage your attendees to post about their food on social media to encourage positive brand exposure.
Positive branding
If sustainability is one of your values, eco-friendly catering can really bring that value to life and demonstrate to the industry that you are serious about your brand values. It can also help attract eco-conscious attendees as well as positive PR.
Compliance
Eco-conscious catering can ensure you are compliant with ISO 20121. ISO 20121 is an international standard for sustainable event management. This can help boost the event’s overall sustainability rating and position your business as a sustainable business in the industry.
Cost savings
Although it can often be costly to source sustainable foods, find eco-conscious venues and dispose of waste sustainably, you will find you are generating savings from reduced waste, being more energy efficient in the long-term.
Conclusion
Sustainable catering practices can overall improve attendee experience as outlined above. It can also demonstrate your commitment to being sustainable by supporting ethical practices and reducing the negative impact on the environment. At Whitespace Group, we actively try to reduce food waste by engaging with the local community. Initiatives include sponsoring local charities, organising food donations and volunteering at environmental projects such as at the London Wetlands Centre.
It’s important to us that we work together to manage food waste. We also compost all kitchen waste on-site, further reducing landfill waste and promoting organic waste recycling. By following the tips above, you can help to reduce your carbon footprint as well as offer attendees a memorable experience.