We worked with Eden Caterers to find a sustainable, reusable alternative to plastic pots when serving our breakfast granola in the venue.

Challenge

Like many venues which serve granola and yoghurt at breakfast, we have confronted the sustainable challenges -posed by offering such food options, which invariably come in plastic pots, accompanied by plastic lids and cutlery. We wanted to break away from this pattern and investigated new and sustainable substitutes.

Solution

By working in partnership with our caterers, we have been able to avoid plastic containers entirely by opting for wine glasses made from recycled glass. We send these glasses to our caterers who fill them with the granola and yoghurt mixture which are then served with our own UK-produced spoons that are made up of 90% recycled steel. To ensure these breakfasts are kept fresh without the need for plastic lids, they are wrapped in Eden Caterers' new food wrap made of PLA (Polylactic Acid) film, which is a natural polymer made from natural materials such as corn starch and sugar cane (see Success Story 1).

Top tips

Avoid the need for non-recyclable, single-use plastic associated with food packaging by:

• Giving feedback to venues about how they can replace plastic products or improve their products to make them more sustainable
• Purchasing recycled-glass products; it’s better for the environment and, they can then be recycled again!
• Where possible, bringing your breakfast and lunch with you in reusable containers to ensure you don't get caught short by having to buy plastic

  Download a PDF of success story 9