At John Michael Events, it is our mission to serve up the best Orlando catering and guest experience possible, but did you know that we also aim to make the world a better place in the process? We’re more than just an Orlando catering company or even event planners. We have a heart for the environment and we take intentional, proactive measures to reduce our carbon footprint with each and every event.
The efforts we take to protect the Earth and do good are part of the John Michael Difference. Together with our partners, we have thoughtfully crafted a 4-pronged plan to ensure that our environmental impact is as minimal as can be while never sacrificing the quality of our food and client experience.
If you’re curious about how you can have an environmentally friendly wedding or event by working with a top Orlando catering company, let us present our green philosophy!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
We’ll start with a phrase we’re all familiar with: reduce, reuse and recycle! This phrase has been around for years because it’s sage advice that actually works. Here at our Orlando catering company and our sister venue, Celebration Gardens, we reduce by limiting our use of paper goods and printed media wherever possible. We opt for compostable disposables and digital collateral instead.
We reuse by working with a local composting company (more on this later in the post) and we recycle paper and plastic company-wide. When we cater events that take place at Orlando event venues other than Celebration Gardens, we always offer our clients the option to recycle there as well.
If you’re currently planning an event, here are some ways you can limit your use of paper materials, straight from the pages of our own book. For example, instead of paper programs for each guest, you can have a personalized QR code that contains the evening’s festivities and info. Alternatively, you may consider having one large sign.
Instead of individual menu cards, you could opt for putting the menu on the back of each table number sign. If you’re having a buffet meal, our Orlando catering team takes care of putting food signs in front of each dish, so in this case, you could even forgo individual menu cards.
Rather than mailing out paper invitations, you could create an online invitation using a software like Paperless Post. They have a wide variety of e-vite templates and styles to match any event, and they make it easy to track RSVPs and make group announcements up until the day of the event!
An Energy-Efficient Orlando Catering Company:
Being a full-service Orlando catering company does typically entail utilizing a lot of power and energy. One of the ways we combat this is by using gas appliances and energy-efficient lighting in our home kitchen and in the portable appliances we take off-site for events. We strive to use only what is necessary, never being wasteful, while still achieving the high quality of food that our clients have come to expect. We also employ water outtake controls in our appliances, so that we are not unnecessarily wasting water.
These environmental preventive measures may seem like small, behind-the-scenes efforts, but every exercise in being eco-friendly adds up! By partaking in these actions, we actually save hundreds of kilowatt-hours and gallons of water every year!
Eco-Friendly Orlando Catering:
Being environmentally conscious extends to every part of our Orlando catering company! When selecting the ingredients for our menus, we only choose all-natural and/or organic ingredients. This enables easy customization of our menu items and also strengthens the flavors and overall quality of the food. When you’re enjoying a delicious meal that we cater, you can have full peace of mind that you’re eating food of the highest quality!
Additionally, after the cooking is complete, we consistently dispose of any grease at specified drop-off locations within Orlando. The grease is then repurposed for use in livestock feed and biodiesel. Nothing goes to waste!
O-Town Compost:
We’ve saved the best for last! Since we frequently provide Orlando catering for large parties ranging from 50 guests to 250 guests, we knew we had to do something about our food waste. Weddings and events tend to produce a ton of table scraps and leftovers, so instead of dumping these, we have partnered up with O-Town Compost to reprocess all food waste. They are a wonderful composting company that takes the waste and transforms it into fresh soil that can be repurposed back into local gardens, including our botanical gardens at Celebration Gardens! It’s the great circle of life: The food waste becomes soil and the soil is used for both flora and farming to grow more food for the community.
Any of our food that is not composted, we donate to Second Harvest Food Bank. We believe in no food going to waste and working with this fantastic organization for donations is yet another part of our Orlando catering company’s green and philanthropic efforts.
Every month, we work with O-Town Compost to generate a composting report. We’re always so proud to see the hundreds of pounds that are diverted from the landfill and are instead used to create usable compost! Here are a few great examples of just how much food waste we’re able to save:
How to Be Eco-Conscious at Home:
In summary, our Orlando catering company is more than a catering business. We care about the quality of our food, the impeccable guest service we provide, and the impact we’re making on the environment. We believe that weddings and events can do more good than harm for the planet, and we take intentional measures to ensure this outcome. From regularly recycling to using energy-efficient appliances to composting, we are proud of the ways we minimize our environmental footprint.
These are all measures you can employ in your own life as well! Applying the eco-friendly efforts we practice in your everyday routine is easier than you might think. Consider the following:
- Have a separate recycle bin. If your local trash company doesn’t collect trash and recycling separately, you can drop off your recyclables at your local recycling center.
- Reduce your usage of paper goods. Instead of frequently using paper towels, utilize washable towels and rags. Use digital files whenever possible instead of printing, and opt for reusable dishes instead of paper plates.
- Replace your lightbulbs with energy-efficient ones and make sure your faucets and shower heads have appropriate water outtake controls.
- You too can compost! O-Town Compost has a service where they will pick up compostables from your home and either deliver the processed waste back to you to use in your garden, or repurpose the soil around the community.
There are endless ways we can all do our part in taking care of the Earth, and we’re excited to see how you choose to do so!
Ready to Work With a Green Orlando Catering Company?
John Michael Events is an experienced Orlando catering company, specializing in serving all types of events, from weddings to social events to corporate events. We offer all-inclusive wedding packages that not only include event catering, but also the additional vendors you’ll need to throw the wedding of your dreams! Twice a quarter, we are proud to host “A Taste of John Michael,” a one-of-a-kind group tasting experience, where clients are invited to sample a variety of our delicacies.
Contact our team by hitting the button below. We would love to chat with you!
