Dry Erase Board

Amid the hustle and bustle of work, it’s easy to end up forgetting about lunch hour after getting carried away with company meetings and conference calls. (Well, arguably, it’s easy to obsess about lunch hour as well.) Why get disappointed with another round of cold catered sandwiches when you could try something tastier and more sustainable? Go for a company-round potluck and take control of your taste buds!

While it may be easy to let the caterers do all the work, sometimes the pasta salad and chicken breast meals can be a little much, especially on Fridays when you just want to unwind with something delicious penciled in between projects. Catering companies also tend to overestimate the amount of food necessary to feed a company, resulting in excess food turning to waste. By organizing a potluck, you can combat this waste in several ways.

1. Food that people bring in tends to be tasty. Whether it is home-cooked or store bought, people pick out the good stuff, so you know it’ll be eaten and not abandoned.
2. By using Pyrex storage to bring homemade food, you can microwave meals on the spot with glass containers that are safer for one’s health than plastic storage containers. Pyrex storage is also reusable, so the trashcan won’t be as bombarded after lunch.
3. Using glass containers or other portable and reusable food containers legitimizes taking excess food home, avoiding any faux pas associated with taking home catering leftovers. With food heading home to cover dinner plans for some coworkers, there’s even less waste stemming from the potluck.

Work with the receptionist to pick an appropriate date for an office potluck and announce it in a company email. You can also add more pizzazz with a big illustrated advertisement on the dry erase board in the break room. Encourage employees to bring their potluck contributions in a canvas tote bag rather than a plastic bag to further reduce waste. Canvas bags also soak up spills better than plastic bags, in case any mishaps happen on the commute. Be sure to get everyone to participate and enjoy a great sustainable meal!