Written by Jayd Alvarez & Megan Murday
OVERVIEW
Kitchens are a gathering place and focal point for office culture - the proverbial water cooler. The space also generates a significant amount of waste from catering, single-use cutlery, and leftover food. Incorporating sustainability into the office kitchen reduces waste and reinforces corporate commitment to climate action.
BUSINESS CASE
Sustainability in the kitchen does not require a large investment and can even reduce costs. Companies, directly or through property management fees, pay for waste disposal. Office managers also purchase single-use cutlery, plates, and food staples with plastic packaging. Sustainable swaps can be cost neutral, especially when partnering with existing waste and food vendors.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Providing the infrastructure and options for sustainable kitchen use empowers employees to align their personal values with office behavior.
🌏 Divert waste from the landfill.
Food waste, packaging, and single-use paper or plastic contribute to the overall waste generated by the company. Providing the infrastructure for recycling and composting gives employees the opportunity to eliminate landfill waste and participate in corporate sustainability. Talk with your waste provider and check local composting and recycling guidelines to select the right equipment and educate employees.
Busch Systems specializes in the physical recycling and waste bins that your company needs to have in office spaces. They’re designed to be effective, durable, aesthetic, and cost-effective.
Rethink Food and Goodr donate surplus food from your kitchen or events, reducing waste and creating local impact. Rethink Food tailors logistic and professional operations (food safety certified drivers and culinary team) with a focus on repurposing prepared food and meals. They serve New York, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Nashville, and DC.
RoadRunner Recycling develops a unique recycling program for your company to ensure maximum savings as well as maximum recycling.
Lomi offers a countertop solution that composts food waste within hours without smell.
Terracycle provide zero-waste boxes for companies and then sorts and recycles the collected waste. They also upcycle waste that municipalities typically cannot process, improving your recycling rates.
Blueland sells cleaning products and hand soap in reusable containers to eliminate single-use plastics.
♻️ Purchase recyclable or compostable alternatives for kitchen staples.
Providing employees with reusable cutlery and tableware eliminates the need to re-order single-use options and reduces waste. For items that cannot be re-used, like paper towels or coffee pods, source recyclable or compostable alternatives.
Green Paper Products sells compostable, biodegradable, and plant-based office kitchenware goods, such as cutlery, trash bags, paper towels, etc.
GloryBrew Compostable Pods, Tayst Compostable Pods, Smile Coffee Werks are compostable coffee pods reducing single-use plastic for Keurig coffee machines.
🍽 Choose sustainable catering.
Catering and vending solutions exist for companies prioritizing sustainability. These innovators help reduce food waste, provide low-carbon vegetarian/vegan options, and utilize reusable or recyclable packaging.
Crafty is a centralized food and beverage platform. Between stocking office kitchens and pantries and catering recurring meals, Crafty partners with TerraCycle to upcycle and compost clients’ food and packaging waste.
DeliverZero is a meal ordering platform that partners with restaurants to use reusable containers for food delivery. Order through the platform for team lunch and then schedule a bulk pickup for the containers.
Canteen provides break room food and beverage solutions for companies. They can source sustainability options for corporate vending.