CSR Tip of the Week: Catering Sustainably

Healthy eating and sustainability are no longer just ‘boxes to tick’ they are all now high on our customer’s agendas. It is very important that you are choosing a caterer who reflects these values as this can instantly reduce your food miles and carbon footprint. Simply choosing a local caterer with local food sources can make all the difference.

By asking your caterer the right questions, you can find out whether they are the best company to work with towards your sustainable objectives.

Top Sustainability questions to ask your caterer:
1. Do you use mostly seasonal produce?
2. Do you use fairly traded goods e.g. coffee and tea?
3. Is your produce locally sourced?
4. Are you able to provide bulk food rather than individually packaged food to save on waste? 5. Can you offer tap water instead of bottled water to save on transportation and recycling of bottled water? If bottled water is unavoidable, buy water in biodegradable corn-based bottles or, as a last resort, ensure the bottles are recycled.
6. Do you have a recycling scheme in place e.g. composting both on site and off site?
7. Do you use reusable crockery, glassware, cutlery, tablecloths etc where possible?
If disposables are unavoidable, use paper or wooden recyclables, or biodegradable plastics.

Top tip: Have attendees sign up for meals in advance to reduce wastage and ask which sessions they plan to attend e.g. morning, afternoon or both.