Sustainability is a top priority for businesses in every sector—after all, customers are increasingly interested in purchasing from socially and environmentally responsible companies. If your organization is looking for ways to shrink its ecological footprint, corporate food waste is a great opportunity. With a few strategic changes, you can reduce waste and save money.

Assess your company’s food waste

Before you can reduce your organization’s food waste, you must determine where it’s coming from. One approach is to ask employees to document all the food they throw out and dispose of it in special bins. Weigh each bin at the end of the day to establish a baseline for future comparisons.
At the end of the week, look at the waste logs to find patterns. Is most of the food waste coming from spoiled snacks in the office kitchen? Are employees throwing out the food they bring for lunch? Understanding the top sources can help you identify the most effective waste-reduction strategies.

Ways to reduce corporate food waste

The actions your company takes to conserve food can have a significant impact. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an astonishing 30%-40% of the country’s food supply ends up in landfills each year. By making it a priority to reduce corporate food waste, you can build an environmentally friendly reputation, attract eco-conscious customers, and encourage competitors to adopt similar strategies.

Try these strategies to cut back on food waste at your business:

  • Educate employees. Gather your employees to discuss the results of your food waste audit and the broader issue. Together, come up with behavioral changes that can cut back on waste, such as packing smaller portions or choosing nonperishable snacks.
  • Adjust your ordering. If you notice that company-provided snacks are spoiling frequently, it might be time to change the way you order. You could order smaller quantities, for example, or schedule more time between deliveries.
  • Choose different foods. When employees aren’t eating the food you provide, switch up your offerings. Poll workers to find out what snacks they’d like to eat at work and use the results as a guide for ordering. For health-conscious workplaces, consider long-lasting items, such as dried fruit, frozen smoothie starters, or kale chips.
  • Create to-go boxes. Food is an essential part of catered meals and office parties, but the leftovers often go to waste. At your next event, ask caterers to pack extra food into to-go containers. Employees can pick up the boxes on the way out to enjoy at home.
  • Compost food scraps. Instead of throwing out small food scraps, ask employees to separate them into a compost bin. You can donate them to a community garden or create your own compost if local regulations allow. If you have the outdoor space, you might even use the compost to start a company garden.
  • Donate nonperishable foods. Find a local food bank or homeless shelter and donate uneaten nonperishable foods. It’s an effective way to clear out the break room cabinets, support local people, and keep food out of landfills.
    Order food on demand. Healthy food is essential for your employees’ well-being, but it also tends to have a shorter shelf life. Instead of stocking the office kitchen with fruits, vegetables, and other foods that expire quickly, consider offering individual meal credits so employees can order their meals on demand. Because employees can choose food that sounds appetizing in the moment, it’s less likely to go to waste.

As you search for ways to provide meal benefits for employees while reducing corporate food waste, consider partnering with Grubhub Corporate Accounts. We provide a simple, cost-effective ordering solution for businesses, so you can provide delicious meals while taking measures to reduce food waste. Whether you’re offering daily lunches or catering a company party, the Grubhub platform makes it easy to order exactly what you need. To learn more, get started with Grubhub Corporate Accounts today.