Food
Food contributes 24% of global carbon emissions so managing where you get your food from and what you eat has a clear environmental impact.
Steps you can take
Reduce food waste at events
Combat food waste by under-catering for events (generally you get 10-15% no shows and lots of small appetites) or charging a non-attendance fee. Make it your goal to provide the right amount of food, not more just in case. Resist the urge to refresh buffets, instead, know it is okay to have the food diminish.
Provide cardboard takeaway boxes and encourage guest to take home any left over food or use food-waste busting app OLIO to distribute any left over food.
Useful links:
Measure and prevent food waste
If you are regulalry holding events, measure the amount of food waste your event produces. In finding where your food waste is coming from (plate waste, preperation waste and spoilage) you can find ways to reduce it for the long term.
Guidance and support is available from Guardians of Grub to monitor your food waste in your orgnisation.
Useful links:
Set up a compost bin or food waste collection
If you have your own building or rent a space, try to establish a way of recycling your food waste such as a compost bin or wormery.
Composting turns kitchen waste and garden waste, cardboard and other materials into soil, storing carbon back in the ground rather than releasing it as methane, as happens when it is trapped in landfill.
Other options may be to organise a food waste collection from your council or local anaerobic digestion firm which will process your waste into energy.
Useful links:
Use sharing apps to reduce food waste
Use food waste fighting apps such as Too Good to Go and OLIO to pick up or distribute food that would otherwise go to waste. These are easy to use once an app is downloaded. Simply log the number of food bundles or meals that are available to pick up and when - the apps do the advertising and payment process for you. People pay you to pick up food that would otherwise have been wasted!
Learn more about food carbon footprints
Educate yourself on carbon footprints of food. The Global North has more than tripled it's meat and dairy consumption in the last 50 years. This requires vast amounts of energy, farmland and freshwater to produce and process these products.
Work to reduce your intake of high-carbon foods such as red meat, dairy, poultry, farmed salmon, tinned tuna, eggs, potatoes, rice in your building and at events you hold.
Introduce meat free initiatives
Implement a 'Meat-Free Monday' or go vegetarian or vegan for staff socials and company events.
Do what you can to reduce your meat consumption and opt for plant-focussed catering. This is easier now than ever before and will save you money.
Check for unsustainable ingredients
Check food purchases for unsustainable ingredients and opt for alternatives. For example, palm oil is a key driver of rainforest deforestation and animal species loss. By choosing sustainable or palm oil free food products, you can vote with your money - showing food producers that there is demand for nature friendly alternatives.
Cook your own or source food locally
Cook or bake your own food for social and team events rather than purchasing pre packaged foods - this can reduce energy use, transportation emmissions and packaging. It's also a fun way to engage the team.
Source food for events from local and purpose led suppliers to reduce delivery miles and contribute to local initiatives. You could also ask them about low-carbon delivery options e.g. cargo bike couriers.
Use eco products and packaging
When your providing catering for events or staff get togethers, always try to use reusable crockery and cutlery (good old ceramic and metal) and encourage leftover food to be taken home. As a back up to people bringing their own tubs or cups, provide reusable or compostable containers that people can take home.
If your organisation provides retail services, and if you're posting products to people, consider the environmental impact of your products and packaging. There are now lots of alternatives to carbon intensive and environmentally harmful goods. Customers also now see environmentally-beneficial products as a selling-point in their own right, and some may avoid buying products without a guarantee of their eco-credentials.
Case Studies
Actions from the North East and Cumbria
We have committed to only providing vegetarian and vegan food at any in-person events to cut down on meat production.
We source food waste that is perfectly good to eat and turn it into meals for residents most in need. We've recycled 21 tonnes!
We're collaborating with partners to help Newcastle become a healthier and more sustainable food city by encouraging organisations and individuals to serve and eat more vegetables and better meat and reduce the amount of food they're wasting.
Have you taken action?
If you're a VCSE based in the North East and you've done something about the climate crisis, please share your action with us. We'd love to share it on this website, to inspire others.
