GreenYour.com

Offices consume disposable plates, cups, and cutlery for meetings and conferences and every day lunch breaks. The average 2,500-person conference will produce waste to the tune of 75,000 disposable cups, 87,500 paper napkins, and 90,000 cans or bottles.[1] In an average year, most office workers throw out 500 disposable cups.[2]

Choosing reusable dishes and flatware can go a long way to cutting overall waste in the office kitchen. For instance, opting to serve food “family style” using large reusable trays and serving bowls rather than one-use, single-serving boxes at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce for 40 weeks resulted in 600 fewer boxes going to the landfill.[3] One Meeting Strategies Worldwide client saved an estimated $87,000 by choosing water pitchers over bottled water.[4]

To start reducing your office kitchen waste, try these tips:

• Buy reusable food service items;
• Choose dishes and flatware made with recycled content;
• Opt for biodegradable dishes and flatware;
• Supply staff and conference guests with pitchers rather than bottles of water.