Sustainable lunch: Redesigning the canteen and cafeteria

Canteen food does not have the best reputation: the food is often considered tasteless, unhealthy and not exactly climate-friendly. Lots of meat, few vegetables and - above all - lots of convenience products. For us, this means: few vitamins, lots of CO₂, lots of food waste and a lot of packaging waste. Of course, you can't lump all company restaurants together, but there are still too many canteens, refectories and cafeterias that have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to sustainability.

One thing first: "sustainable" does not mean that only lentil Bolognese and kohlrabi schnitzel are served. Of course, it can also be a "real" schnitzel for those who don't want to give up meat. We explain how to do this in the following article.

What does “sustainability” mean and how can a canteen become “sustainable”

Before we start with our tips, we first need to clarify what we mean by "sustainable". The buzzword is used in an inflationary way these days and is (unfortunately) losing its meaning. When it comes to the term "sustainability", we adhere to the so-called Brundlandt definition. This states that sustainable development ensures that goods and opportunities are distributed fairly between the people of today and the people of the future. In other words, we should have the same opportunities to develop as our children and their children.

Sustainability is therefore not just about saving CO₂ or saving wild bees - rather, nature, the economy and people should be harmonized. "Sustainable" does not mean that we have to live in caves from now on. It means that we learn to live in an environmentally friendly, efficient and socially responsible way in order to maintain our standard of living and preserve nature at the same time.

This has several implications for a canteen: The operation must remain economical despite expensive (organic) food, but at the same time it should be affordable for employees and students to eat there. Not an easy task, but still doable! Our formula: Reduce waste, save resources and educate guests.

Sustainable canteen: how to avoid food waste and packaging wast

In order for our calculation to work, we need to make savings in some areas. For example, packaging waste and food waste. Here we recommend switching from buffets to plate meals. Every day, tons of food are thrown away in canteens with buffets because it has already been prepared but not eaten. Switching to plated meals does not necessarily come at the expense of variety: with two to three menu options (e.g. vegan menu, standard menu and health menu), there is something for everyone.

In today's high-tech world, apps can also help to plan better and avoid food waste. For example, employees and students could use an app to pre-order their food so that the kitchen doesn't prepare unnecessary portions. Throwing away less food saves CO₂ and, of course, money. Did you know that most commercial kitchens throw away between 5% and 15% of the food they buy? That doesn't have to be the case! To meet the social aspect of sustainability, leftover food can then be donated to food sharing organizations.

You can also save money on packaging waste and protect the environment. A lot of plastic waste can be avoided by using environmentally friendly storage systems or reusable systems. This saves the company disposal costs and protects the environment by reducing plastic production and energy-intensive recycling.

Save electricity, gas and water: Reduce costs, protect the environmen

Another key factor in the switch to a sustainable canteen is the use of energy-, gas- and water-saving appliances. Energy (whether in the form of gas or electricity) will not become cheaper in the foreseeable future. Refrigerators, dishwashers and other large appliances should ideally meet the highest energy standards. Purchasing such appliances is of course an investment - but in the long term, it pays off for the business and the environment.

Regional organic fruit, vegetables and meat

Given that this article is about canteens, we have so far talked very little about food. Here, too, there are of course many ways to be climate and environmentally friendly - albeit at a slightly higher cost. If you buy regional organic vegetables, fruit or meat, you will initially have to dig a little deeper into your pockets. However, these higher costs can be reduced - initially through the savings mentioned above, but mainly through the spendability of guests.

Communication is an essential part of a sustainability concept for a canteen, canteen or cafeteria! After all, guests receive a meal that is healthier, more environmentally friendly and more socially responsible. Most of us are prepared to pay 1 or 2 euros more for this. Alternatively, canteens can also offer an affordable standard menu selection, which is offset by the slightly higher cost of the "luxury menus" (e.g. vegan or health menu). This means that people with less money can also enjoy a healthy, environmentally friendly and varied lunch break.