Easy Ways to Donate Your Leftover Event Food

Almost every event involves food, but have you ever thought about what happens to the leftovers when the event ends? Where does everything go? If you're lucky, then all the food that you spent hours ordering for your event perfectly matched the number of attendees you had. Does this happen? Sure, but a lot of times there's extra food that goes to waste. The United States wastes about 40% of its food each year in fact. That's almost half of the food we produce! So ask yourself, what can you do to solve the problem? As an event planner, you can have an impact on that number. If you were to start donating the leftovers from events, then that number could go down. A great way to make an impact is to connect with local organizations near your events or establish a relationship with a foundation that you can donate to.

Why Donate?

Sustainability. We should work to reduce the harm we inflict on our environment. That 40% wasted is more than just the food you see on the table. It's the hours spent growing, nurturing and maintaining the food that's wasted too. By donating your extras, you're choosing a different route. Help others. There are other people who could use that food. Your leftovers could potentially be the only thing they eat that day.

How?

Plan ahead. If you want to donate your food then you should do your best to plan ahead. Get in touch with a local organization before your event and organize a pick-up. Research and ask around to find the best fit for you. Take action. If you didn't plan ahead, that's okay. If you start to notice you will have extras, start researching option. That might mean personally delivering your extras to the local homeless shelter.

What's Next?

Talk about it. After you've successfully donated your food and set up a system to continue doing so, tell people about it! Inform your customers, co-workers, business partners, everyone! Let people know what you did, how you did it, and why it was so easy. The more you tell others, the better for everyone. Your company will build a respectable reputation while working to improve the environment and local communities. It's a no-brainer.