Recent studies have shown that over 25% of food served in buffets gets thrown away, amounting to over 300 million tons of food waste each year. At the same time, simply changing the vessel used to serve syrup, for example, can reduce waste by 60%. From walking through the event planning journey, to exploring concepts including Portioned Vessels and Pacing the Pastries, join event professionals in seeing the future through your next event. Use these tools to communicate your mission to clients while keeping your deliciously crafted food out of the landfill. To develop this resource, the IDEO team turned to 15+ experts in New York City and Orlando. Interviewees include certified meeting planners and hotel event managers and staff. A huge thank you to the team at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. for prototyping these concepts!

Our Communicating Food Waste Toolkit was developed in collaboration with marketing experts to highlight strategies such message placement, using emotion to earn engagement, and encouragement using positive messages to engage guests on your food waste reduction efforts. In 2023, we added a section focused on engaging and connecting with staff. Research shows that employees are 16% more productive at companies that prioritize sustainability and have green practices in place. You will find key strategies to gain staff support for the mission, including: 1. Recognizing staff’s busy schedules. 2. Appealing to professional pride. 3. Fostering a sense of empowerment! These posters are free to use and can be customized to fit your brand’s design guidelines. Collaborate with your communications team to make these your own!

This food waste-reducing menu focuses on using edible parts of fruits and vegetables that are easily repurposed or donated, featuring ingredients hand-selected from our Produce Yield Ranking Tool. Use this menu to inspire your next breakfast and lunch buffet. It can keep costs low and delight your guests while keeping food out of the landfill.