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The “Waste Not, Want Not: Practical Solutions for Preventing Food Waste in Events” webinar on April 20, 2023, was a fruitful session with 100% of the attendees rated “yes” to usefulness of the webinar in helping them with food waste prevention.
“PREVENTION is challenging because it requires a change in mindset, more focus on planning, and measuring what never happened.”
Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton, Founder and Chief Change Agent, Astrapto LLC
Together with Cara Puah, Deputy Director, Tourism, NTUC LearningHub, as moderator and panel members Hellen Woon, Event Director, Constellar Malaysia and Lynell Peck, Director of Culinary Service, ICC Sydney, our panelists shared practical insights and stories of how they applied food waste prevention strategies in events.
Webinar Key Takeaways
Here are top actionable tips you can apply immediately:
Communication and Collaboration
- Effective communication and collaboration are crucial for preventing food waste. Planners, venues, and suppliers should work together and involve the floor staff, who have a better understanding of what types of food are popular and what is not.
- This information can be used to limit the quantity of certain food items served, ultimately reducing waste. By working together, planners can gain valuable insights into food movement, and develop strategies to prevent food waste.
Comparison and Feedback
- Capturing photos of the event, specifically before and after meals, can be a powerful tool for event planners to address food waste.
- The visual comparison provides a compelling feedback loop and highlights the problem at hand. It’s important to use these photos to share information and educate others, rather than playing the blame game. By seeing the issue in real life, we can take action to fix it.
Acknowledgement of Achievements
- Make sustainability a regular item on your meeting agenda and recognise every little win.
- Your floor teams are the force driving your sustainability initiatives, and they deserve acknowledgement and rewards. Their actions will inspire and motivate others to follow suit, making them the most potent advocates for sustainability.