10 Tips to Cut Food Waste

Corporate Responsibility
Oct. 03, 2022

With nearly one-third of food produced around the world going to waste, food waste is clearly a huge problem. We all have a role to play in reducing as much waste as possible.

At Sodexo, we run a campaign called WasteLESS week every October at our client sites around the world. Our goal is to empower our employees, clients and consumers to find ways to cut waste through competitions and initiatives, and to highlight our continued efforts in this space.

It’s all part of our Better Tomorrow commitments to cut food waste 50%, feed hungry people and reduce our carbon emissions 34% by 2025.

Here are some of our teams’ best tactics for reducing food waste:

Creating something from food that would otherwise be discarded: Soups, juices and smoothies can be made from vegetable and fruit parts that wouldn’t normally be used, or bruschetta created from bread past its prime. Getting creative in the kitchen can save a lot of food from going to waste.
Re-distributing excess food: Finding a new home for food that would normally be thrown out is a terrific way to reduce food waste. Excess food can be donated to a local charity or food bank or sold at a reduced price.
Rescuing “wonky” fruit and vegetables: Surplus and misshapen fruit and vegetables can be rescued for use in recipes across our sites. Committing to a regular order of wonky produce (and using it!) is another effective way to reduce food waste. Seek out local farms or suppliers who sell imperfect produce in your area.
Re-using what would normally be thrown out: For example, used coffee grounds are often thrown away, but they make a fantastic fertilizer. Some of our teams have installed a separate bin to collect coffee grind waste, and then either used it to fertilize on-site gardens or provided it to consumers to use at home.
Trying a taster sample: Some of our teams have introduced taster samples on site to minimize plate waste, while others involve consumers in taste-testing new products before committing to a large order.
Starting with a small portion: Our eyes are often too big for our stomachs. Offering recommended portion sizes and smaller plates, with the option for consumers to come back for more, are both ways our teams reduce food waste on consumer plates.
Cooking to order: By cooking to order, rather than batch cooking — and switching to smaller pans when we do batch cook — our teams reduce leftovers. Some sites have also introduced pre-order apps, which enable on-site teams to better manage food quantities and reduce customer wait times.
Measuring how much food is being wasted: Sodexo’s WasteWatch powered by Leanpath program enables our teams to measure how much food is being wasted to adjust forecasting and kitchen processes. This allows us to reduce food waste while educating our employees and consumers. The program has been deployed across 2,500 Sodexo sites globally.
Avoiding waste beyond food: Whether it’s purchasing re-usable containers, cups and bottles, or removing customer trays to cut back on the water and power needed to clean them, we can take other actions to avoid waste. Every little bit helps the planet.
Raising awareness & sharing new ideas: Encourage innovation and increase food waste awareness by:

Introducing a staff suggestion board for food waste tips and ideas
Holding food waste quizzes
Creating fun contests to track, measure and reduce waste
Collecting leftover food for a period of time to illustrate leftover volume
Publishing food waste pledges

There are so many things we can all do to use our planet’s food supply more wisely. Read more more about Sodexo’s fight against food loss and waste.