Utah Food Services Environmental Sustainability Policy
Mission Statement
Utah Food Services is a full service caterer committed to serving the local community and global visitors to Salt Lake City, while striving to preserve the environment. Thinking globally, our catering company promotes mindful and creative ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Our goal is to continually improve our diversion rates and work with our providers and partners to increase our sustainability practices for all our catering events.
Environmental Sustainability Policy
Our sustainability efforts in conjunction with our catering practices will focus on: Staff Management Policy, Communication, Waste Management, Energy, Air Quality, Water, Procurement, and Community Partners.
Staff Management Policy
Management embraces the objective of creating a more sustainable catering facility by introducing and implementing initiatives that will engage staff members, clients, attendees, vendors and partners. We strive to educate, inform and practice good stewardship that will affect positive change for the future. Management has also implemented a Food Rescue Plan with a Food Rescue Coordinator (FRC)
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For more information about Utah Food Services sustainability and “going green” efforts, please sure to visit our Utah Food Services Catering Blog every week.
COMMUNICATIONS
We will continue to keep our sustainability efforts top-of-mind through a coordinated, on-going campaign designed to reach employees, vendors, clients, attendees, in-house partners and our community. Information will be shared via electronic means, minimizing the use of printed materials. This will include the web site sustainability page. Daily, weekly and monthly departmental meetings will provide opportunities to continue the dialogue for improving sustainability practices and reinforce commitment to sustainability efforts. Additionally, we encourage conference attendees to bring a reusable water bottle and coffee cup.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Enhance current operations thru the FRC to reduce, reuse and recycle waste and materials generated by employees, visitors, attendees, events, in-house partners and vendors. Identify waste streams from all sources and develop practices and programs to eliminate, reduce or divert items from landfills by recycling, donating, reusing and composting. Complete a waste audit to set benchmarks for diversion and use data to develop comprehensive programs that employ best practices.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
While working with our recycling partners to recycle and compost is a priority, finding a home for unused product is a necessity. Our chefs’ work with the Utah Food Bank, Catholic Community Services, and local shelters to expedite deliveries of excess food while always maintaining safe food handling practices. We will continue to develop creative methods to enhance our stewardship efforts.
ENERGY
Continually review methods to reduce the amount consumed by identifying how and when power is used. Implement programs and policies to reduce power consumption based on data after benchmarks have been established. Employ technological and investing in energy saving equipment and lighting.
AIR QUALITY
Programs will be further enhanced to mitigate air pollution in and immediately outside the facility. No smoking zones, anti-idling, alternative transportation options and management of air pollutants from the facility will be the major areas of focus.
WATER
Continue developing programs, policies and practices that reduce water usage and maintain water quality. Commit to capital improvements that promote this goal, such as water efficient dish machines. Training employee's to use smaller more efficient dish machine when possible, only using large flight type dish machine when volumes require it.
PROCUREMENT
Our procurement policy considers the environmental, ethical, and economic impact of such purchases, keeping in mind the overreaching goals of the company environmental policy. Our chefs keep our sales staff informed of Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation "Best Choice" or "Good Alternatives" when selling any seafood items. As a policy we purchase local products whenever possible or in season. Additionally, our disposable service ware is 100% biodegradable green ware. Our sale staff also recommends water coolers to our clients rather than plastic water bottles. We offer Bird Friendly, Rain Forest Alliance, coffee to all our clients.
