Zero Food Waste at Events: 6 Takeaways from Our Webinar

‍By Ben Lephilibert, CEO & Founder, Lightblue Food Waste Solutions

Last month, we joined Net Zero Carbon Events for a live webinar on one of the most underestimated sustainability challenges in the events sector: food waste.

The session brought together Ben Lephilibert, CEO of Lightblue Food Waste Solutions, a Gemmeke De Jongh from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), and Claudia Tatos Santos from Silva Carvalho Catering — the team behind catering at ICCA's Porto congress, which became a landmark case study in food waste prevention for large events. Here are the six takeaways we came away with.

1. Food waste is a bigger climate lever than most event organisers assume

The session opened with a statistic that tends to stop people in their tracks: food waste and loss generates 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions — nearly five times more than the entire aviation industry. Yet when event organisers build their sustainability plans, travel and flights typically get the most attention. Food is frequently the larger, more overlooked impact. The panel was clear: that needs to change.

The practical shift

Add a food waste line item to every post-event sustainability or ESG report, alongside travel and energy. When briefing internal stakeholders, lead with food waste as a headline priority — not an afterthought.

2. Events are wasting more food than most people realise

Between 15% and 20% of all food served at a typical catered event ends up in the bin — roughly 0.5 to 1.2 kg per delegate, per day. For a 500-person, two-day conference, that can translate to half a tonne of discarded food. Food service accounts for 28% of all global food waste, making it one of the top three contributors worldwide. Most event teams don't know where their events sit against these benchmarks. That's the first problem to solve.

The practical shift

Ask your caterer to weigh and report food waste after every event. Set a simple year-on-year per-delegate reduction target. You cannot reduce what you do not measure.

3. The demand already exists — someone just needs to raise it

One of the more striking findings shared during the webinar: in a survey of over 550 event planners, 55% rated food waste prevention a high priority for delegates, and 92% said they would respond positively if a venue proactively raised the topic. Yet resistance from caterers and venues is still common. The panel's message was direct: the demand is there. What's missing is someone taking the first step.

The practical shift

Add a food waste prevention question to every catering RFP. Make it a standing agenda item on pre-event planning calls. If a caterer pushes back, the survey data above reframes the conversation as a client expectation, not an added cost.

4. Reducing food waste is a structured process, not a single fix

The ICCA Porto congress applied The PLEDGE for Events framework designed by The PLEDGE on Food Waste, which organises the work into eight pillars across the full event lifecycle: accurate forecasting, communication and promotion, staff training, food rescue partnerships, menu redesign, delegate engagement, monitoring, and post-event reporting.

Claudia Tatos Santos from Silva Carvalho Catering spoke to the operational reality: trying to solve food waste with one clever trick rarely works. It needs a plan that runs from the first headcount estimate to the final report.

The practical shift

Start with the two highest-impact, lowest-cost pillars — accurate headcount forecasting and a named local food rescue partner for every event. Even a simple pre-event checklist covering these basics is a meaningful starting point, ahead of any formal certification.

5. Small operational changes produce measurable results

The Porto congress demonstrated what's achievable with focused, low-cost adjustments. Switching to smaller plates at buffets reduced how much delegates over-served themselves. Trimming the buffet from 27 to 17 menu items cut over-production noticeably. Reviewing consumption data each morning allowed the catering team to adjust next-day quantities — waste was lowest on day three of three. One detail flagged as critical by the panel: confirming final delegate numbers as close to the event as possible. A last-minute drop from 250 to 200 guests can be catastrophic if caterers only learn about it too late.

The practical shift

Smaller plates and a shorter buffet menu are near-zero-cost changes with real impact. Build a contract clause allowing production quantities to be adjusted right up to the event based on confirmed attendance numbers. For multi-day events, build in a daily morning review of actual versus projected consumption.

6. Communicating the effort turns a back-of-house fix into a visible sustainability story

ICCA didn't just reduce food waste at Porto — they made it visible. Table talkers, screens, and staff badges signalled the commitment throughout the congress. A "Food Waste Warriors" pin campaign invited delegates to play a role. Next-morning updates shared how much food had been rescued the previous day. The result: close to 1,495 kg of surplus food rescued over the congress — the equivalent of roughly 2,990 meals — all documented in a public implementation report that became a powerful asset for ICCA's member communications and marketing.

The practical shift

Ask the MC to make a short announcement about the event's food waste goals. Share an impact recap in the post-event summary. Fold the numbers into existing CSR or ESG reporting — concrete, quantifiable results that resonate with finance audiences as much as sustainability teams.

The one thing to do first

When asked what single action organisers should take immediately, the panel's answer was consistent: make food waste a topic of open conversation with caterers, venues, and clients. No framework, certification, or new technology required. Just the willingness to raise it, every time, until it becomes standard practice.

This webinar was hosted by Net Zero Carbon Events. Speakers included Ben Lephilibert (Lightblue Food Waste Solutions), Gemmeke De Jongh from ICCA, and Claudia Tatos Santos (Silva Carvalho Catering).

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