Recycling, Composting & Sustainability

Catering Works has been eco-friendly since we opened our doors in 1989.  One of the earliest programs we called the "clean plate club": rather than waste paper or plastic plates for employee lunch, we required everyone to use non-disposables and "clean their plate".  A simple measure really, and considering over time how much waste that reduced in our internal operations, we then applied the principle to outside catering services, encouraging clients to utilize more environmentally friendly options.  We are avid recyclers, and often haul away our own trash and recycling, post event, should their not be any facilities on the premises where we are catering. We have partnered with the Interfaith FoodShuttle and Durham Rescue Mission, and donate leftover prepared foods and ingredient items whenever possible or at a client’s request.

We were the first catering company to adopt compostable serving ware in our area, and offer many other environmentally friendly catering solutions. We recycle all bottles, cans, paper products and other recyclable materials both at our facility and at off-site events.

Catering Works has partnered with CompostNow, a company that collects food scraps and other compostables from businesses and residents in order to reduce waste and support local gardens.

Catering Works has built an on-site garden utilizing the nitrogen rich CompostNow compost in the soil to grow herbs, sweet potatoes and other produce for it’s use.

Please refer to Catering Works impact report pdf, prepared by CompostNow to review the statistics on our composting program.

Catering Works collects and recycles our cooking oil through a local company to create bioenergy. We have implemented timers on our cooking equipment to decrease the power-use. We have also replaced all of our lights with LED lights.

We care deeply about the source of our ingredients and in reducing the carbon footprint of food miles. We work with many local farmers and producers.