Haute Catering is a Green-conscious company committed to reducing the overall carbon fingerprint we place on our environment. We make every effort to use environmentally responsible and sustainable resources to meet our catering needs and dispose of all waste through safe and responsible methods.
FROM THE CAPITOL TO YOUR OWN BACKYARD
At our Capitol Hill organization we have millions of people visit our area every year who account for roughly 240,000 meals served to our employees and our guests every month – that equates to A LOT of trash! However, at CapitolHost we have structured a waste reduction program that began in 2008 that helps us reduce the dozens of tons of garbage taken to area landfills. It is extremely expensive to haul the waste, especially when done frequently.
Our waste reduction program helps us better manage the solid waste we generate and also helps reduce Greenhouse gases. Sending food waste to landfills creates methane, which is a Greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9-15 years. Prior to the implementation of our waste reduction program, we were actively contributing to global warming by sending 100 percent of our cafeteria waste to landfills.
HEALTHIER FOOD, HEALTHIER EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS
Outside our Capitol Hill location, Haute Catering has five other units where we voluntarily implement our food-service operation plan, proving our dedication to being Green. Not only is it better for our environment, it’s better for our dining community. We quickly realized that we have an obligation to be Green on and off the Hill. As a company, we are committed to doing the right thing, and we are passionate about conserving our planet.
Our Green efforts start with the ingredients we use. At each of our units, we have committed to using fresh foods instead of canned and frozen foods, which are extremely expensive to ship. Eighty percent of our menu items that we currently serve are made with fresh ingredients. Our company fully supports local farms and products when at all possible, cutting down on long-distance transportation – hence reducing emissions and gas usage.
DOING OUR PART
We voluntarily invest in cutting-edge composting technologies. We use an entire line of completely biodegradable service ware, beverage containers and utensils. So, instead of just throwing tons of food and petroleum-based, non-biodegradable materials into landfills, it will eventually biodegrade. Haute Catering and CapitolHost encourage all events and clients to do their part, and to help accomplish this, we offer Green ware at no additional cost from traditional plastic ware.
We have a commitment to our clients to educate them on environmentally friendly ways that are more socially responsible and in turn will help to reduce our carbon fingerprint. In all of our cafeterias and at each event we cater, we encourage employees and visitors to separate compostable waste (items that cannot be composted or recycled) from recyclable objects. Our investment in these systems, combined with the willingness and commitment of our employees and visitors, is making sure we don’t produce a mountain of waste.
We are continually researching and exploring other alternatives to be more responsible, and we continue to improve our recycling program. But at the end of each day, our philosophy remains the same and that is to always recycle, compost, and reuse your resources to help save our planet.
