How we Reduce our Environmental Impact, One Initiative at a Time

Sustainability Corporate Responsibility
Apr. 20, 2023

Every year, as Earth Day rolls around, it is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the decisions we make every day to create a more sustainable lifestyle and protect our planet.

At Sodexo Canada, we work daily on finding ways to reduce our environmental impact. We are leaders in sustainability, dedicated to taking significant steps to preserve a healthy environment for future generations. And we have a dedicated Sustainability team to help us accomplish our goals for a Better Tomorrow.

Sodexo Canada's Sustainability team is in place to support our on-site teams in being proactive and innovative and implementing our sustainability initiatives into their operations. They perform a wide range of tasks and take on various responsibilities, such as

Sustainability auditing
Legislative adherence
Site visits
Training
Program management and expansion
Engagement
Resource creation
Interviews
Client meetings

This team continuously develops the strategic sustainability roadmap at Sodexo Canada and works to expand the company’s sustainable offerings and developments by reporting on sustainability data and leading program integration.

Supporting Fairtrade Campus Designations

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team is pleased to have supported one of Sodexo Canada Campus's locations in achieving Fairtrade certification.

At Bishop’s University, the client approached our on-site Sodexo team to transition to offering only Fairtrade coffee on campus. The Sodexo team decided to take this project to the next level by providing Fair-Trade chocolate, hot chocolate and tea at all food and beverage outlets on campus.

As a result, Bishop's University has been designated as a Fairtrade Campus by Fairtrade Canada for its efforts to promote and sell fair trade products from small-scale producers in developing nations. To earn this designation, Sodexo collaborated with an assembled committee from the university to ensure the procurement of all necessary products.

The change with Sodexo was made “faster than I thought,” said Laurence Williams, Bishop’s sustainable development adviser. “They were really collaborative.”

Coffee is now sourced from a local roaster, Faro.

As part of their ongoing commitment to sustainability, the Sodexo team at Bishop University is working to increase the number of Fairtrade products used on the site.

Saving Money with Waste-Reducing Innovations

At Sodexo Canada, we collaborate with our customers to develop creative and environmentally friendly solutions for their food service needs.

WasteWatch powered by LeanPath is our worldwide comprehensive program to avoid and minimize food waste. It allows workers to measure food waste in real-time, monitor it, and then make modifications that are both cost-effective and beneficial for the environment.

person weighing food In 2021, Cedar Valley Lodge implemented the WasteWatch powered by Leanpath program in one of their kitchens. With the help of our Senior Sustainability Manager, Davide Del Brocco, the team maximized their efficiency with their Leanpath tracking device and made the decision to install another one in their second kitchen.

In addition, the Leanpath Spark device, which displays the quantity of consumer plate waste in the dining area was introduced and implemented.

Since WasteWatch was implemented at Cedar Valley Lodge, over 90,000 dollars worth of food waste has been prevented. This has not only helped our client save money, but it has also decreased the negative impact that our business has on the environment.

Lance Underhay, Executive Chef at Cedar Valley Lodge, Energy and Resources, says:

“Our garde-manger team has really championed the WasteWatch program. We have seen a higher level of efficiency in the way they process our vegetables. From day-to-day, we get such timely data through it that they can see how their efforts are making progress and reducing waste.”

Lance UnderhayExecutive Chef at Cedar Valley Lodge, Energy and Resources

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Proper use of the WasteWatch program leads to reduced food waste, and Cedar Valley Lodge is a fantastic example of the advantages that may result from implementing and optimizing this program.

Sourcing Locally with Innovative Technology

Sourcing from local suppliers is key to our responsible sourcing commitment. We work closely with our clients, vendors and operators to improve our responsible sourcing performance.

We have developed the Local Sourcing Mapping Tool, which is a cutting-edge and user-friendly application that is used exclusively by Sodexo to locate local producers near client locations. As a result, we can prioritize the use of local producers whenever we make purchases, which contributes to the reduction of our Scope 3 carbon emissions. By doing so, our clients are better able to work toward their goals of reducing carbon emissions and supporting local businesses.

Map

Anna-Maria Bartha, Senior Manager, Business Development Support, says:

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“Since using the Local Sourcing Mapping Tool, our team has been able to quickly get the information we need about local suppliers, and we can include maps in communication for clients and prospects that are impactful and convey a lot of information.”

Anna-Maria BarthaSenior Manager, Business Development Support

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The Local Sourcing Mapping Tool was developed by Sodexo Canada’s supply management and CSR teams, with the support of our suppliers with the goal of highlighting our local footprint digitally.

Offering Healthier Foods while Reducing Energy Consumption

At Sodexo Canada, we work with approved disposal companies that ensure the collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biofuel. But our oil waste management does not stop there.

Sodexo has an exclusive partnership with Oil Chef, a leader in sustainable kitchen technology. Oil Chef is a women-owned Canadian company and is a pioneer in the field. Oil Chef doubles the life of cooking oil in deep fryers and reduces energy consumption while making fried food healthier.

The technology developed by Oil Chef has been implemented at 20 Sodexo locations, which typically see a return on investment (ROI) within four to six months. Thanks to this innovation, we have been able to cut our and our clients’ spending on cooking oil and our oil waste collection by at least fifty percent.

Reducing our Environmental Impact at Every Stage

Our company is dedicated to cutting down on carbon emissions throughout all stages of operations, including client sites, and our supply chain. We are committed to doing our part to protect the planet in any way we can, from Fair-Trade certifications and ethical sourcing to cutting down on waste and improving guests' health and happiness.

Read more about how we positively impact natural, social and economic ecosystems wherever we can.