Office sustainability — this is how you avoid food waste when catering for employees!

Foodji gives entrepreneurs five tips for more sustainability in the office

Office sustainability | Avoid food waste in employee catering:
According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, up to twelve million tons of food end up in the trash every year. The majority of food waste is generated in private households. Consumers are required to counteract this food waste. Companies can also make a big contribution to avoiding food waste, sensitizing employees and creating environmental awareness in the office. The food start-up foodji, based in Munich, gives five tips on how companies can minimize food waste when catering for employees.

1. Demand-oriented quantity planning in employee catering

A first step towards preventing food waste in companies with food offerings is demand-oriented quantity planning. Here, it is worthwhile to evaluate employee catering in advance, which dishes are in demand in the company and what is the workload of employees in the office in the coming weeks? Because only those who plan carefully will be able to prevent food waste.

2. Using regional products for more sustainability in offices

It is also recommended to use regional products. When buying fruit and vegetables from the region, there is no need for long transport routes and the risk of damaged products being sorted out, which inevitably also promotes sustainability. In addition, regional and local products stay fresh longer and are of higher quality. “As a company, do you offer fresh fruit and vegetable baskets, for example as employee catering. In doing so, you are not only doing something good for the environment, but also for your employees,” says Felix Munte, CEO of foodji marketplace GmbH. Carrots, apples and pears, for example, taste very good seasonally in February.

3. More awareness of food

Employers set an example for their employees. For this reason, they are required to create more awareness of food in the company and to make employees aware of it. “As a company, take part in action days organized by the Federal Ministry of Food and Health or help out with the blackboard together.” Because by better educating employees, food waste in the company can be reduced and sustainability increased.

4. Cooperation with food sharing organizations against food waste

There are now numerous organizations for saving and recycling food, including catering for employees. “At foodji, we cooperate with the organization food sharing. The initiative has set itself the goal of saving food that is just before or after the expiration date. They volunteer surplus food to associations, food banks, soup kitchens and other partners from their network. As a food start-up, it is particularly important to us not to eat any dishes from our food vending machines to waste, manage food waste and guarantee sustainability,” says Felix Munte, managing director of foodji marketplace GmbH.

5. Edible products even past the best-before date

Many products are still edible even after the best before date. The online grocery retailer Knuspr, for example, still processes flawless food into delicious meals in the in-house canteen. Another option is to make edible products freely available to employees in the office's own refrigerator. But further processing leftover products is also an opportunity to prevent food waste. “In my university canteen, it was common for delicious vegetable burgers to be on the menu when there were too many vegetables left over the previous day. With a fresh burger roll and crunchy salad, it was my all-time favorite,” says Felix Munte.

In short: With a good concept for avoiding food waste in employee catering, companies not only make a positive contribution to sustainability, but also benefit from other benefits. First, demand-oriented quantity planning can increase cost efficiency. Second, companies with sustainable concepts show responsibility for future generations. And thirdly, sustainability in the office also promotes customer loyalty by giving the company a positive image, which increases brand loyalty.