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From plate to planet: organisational strategies for sustainable food service

Our Evolving Workplaces report found that over eight in ten employees think it’s important that their employer has sustainability initiatives in place. With there also being growing pressure on organisations to make their food services more sustainable, there’s a range of opportunities to still serve delicious meals while caring for the planet.
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Use data to reduce food waste
Turning to technology is crucial to tackle one of the biggest workplace challenges: food waste. By adopting AI-powered tools, food service teams can track what’s being discarded and make smarter decisions about recipes, portion sizes and purchasing. Our partnership with Winnow for this has enabled us to drop food waste by 46% and saved €6.5 million (£5.7 million) as of 2025.
Hannah Hughes, ISS UK’s Marketing & Retail Concept Director, says: “Recognising that the UK alone produces circa 9.5 million tonnes of food waste annually, we have created a strategy to minimise waste and make disposal practices more sustainable. Winnow uses computer vision to help our people calculate the weight and cost of food waste, identify areas for improvement, and release their true savings potential.”
Adjusting production based on workplace occupancy data also is an effective way to ensure meals are matched to demand, reducing unnecessary waste.
 
Responsible sourcing for sustainable menus
Sustainable food service often begins with responsible sourcing. Organisations should prioritise ethically produced, local and seasonal ingredients, supporting nearby suppliers and maintaining high food safety standards. Responsible sourcing and innovative waste reduction methods at our Nordea customer sites in Sweden and Denmark were in fact two of the initiatives that enabled us to earn the Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification.
There’s also a growing shift towards plant-forward menus, which help lower the environmental impact of food services. Using these different ingredients can also be an effective way of getting more people in the office regularly, as they can learn new and interesting recipes.
Hannah says: “As part of our plant-forward approach and carbon reduction targets, we work closely with Redefine Meat. By championing a plant-forward approach to our menus, we can help to reduce the impact of traditional meat production and processing, without compromising quality or flavour.”
Another way to reduce environmental impact is if chefs embrace circularity by creating dishes from parts of ingredients that might otherwise be discarded, turning potential waste into culinary innovation.
 

"By championing a plant-forward approach to our menus, we can help to reduce the impact of traditional meat production and processing, without compromising quality or flavour."
- Hannah Hughes, ISS UK’s Marketing & Retail Concept Director

  

 

Rethink packaging
 
Sustainability extends beyond what’s on the plate. Reducing single-use plastics by switching to compostable takeaway containers and reusable dishware programmes for example may seem small changes, but add up to a significant reduction in environmental impact.
 
Hannah adds: “One such measure is Vytal’s reusable packaging system for food and drink that replaces single-use takeaway containers. We serve food in durable containers that customers return; we wash and redeploy them, cutting waste and advancing a circular approach.
 
We clear 2027 targets of 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable takeaway packaging and a 30% reduction in single-use items.”
 
Quick tips for companies looking to improve sustainability
 
•    Monitor and reduce food waste using AI and real-time data.
•    Prioritise ethical, local and seasonal sourcing.
•    Leverage technology to optimise food production.
•    Expand plant-forward menu options.
•    Reduce packaging waste through reusable and compostable alternatives.
 
We believe the most successful sustainability initiatives are those where leadership sets the vision and culinary teams bring it to life – engaged and empowered teams are at the heart of lasting change. By embracing these approaches, organisations can create food services that are not only environmentally responsible but also innovative, resilient and valued by employees.