Food for the Planet: How Elior North America Cut Food Waste by 64% and are Decarbonising Food Artwork

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Climate Confident - Practical Climate Solutions That Cut Emissions

Food for the Planet: How Elior North America Cut Food Waste by 64% and are Decarbonising Food

October 08, 2025 • Tom Raftery • Season 1 • Episode 241

0:00 | 34:58

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In this week’s episode of Climate Confident, I’m joined by Sherie Nelson, Senior Director of Responsibility & Wellness at Elior North America, a food service company serving millions of meals daily across schools, hospitals, universities, and businesses. Sherie sits at the fascinating intersection of nutrition, sustainability, and systems change - proving that what’s good for people is, quite literally, good for the planet.

We discuss how Elior has cut food waste by 64% since 2022, rolled out data-driven carbon tracking across thousands of kitchens, and committed to making 50% of all new menus meatless by 2025. Sherie explains how her team is re-engineering menus to be both craveable and climate-friendly, and why naming and presentation matter just as much as emissions data when driving behaviour change.

From plant-forward menu design and sustainable packaging to the hard truths of scalability and regulation, Sherie offers a masterclass in how large-scale food operations can reduce emissions without compromising on flavour or health.

If you’ve ever wondered how the global food service industry can help deliver on climate goals, or how data and diet can work together to cut emissions at scale, this episode is a must-listen.

Listen now to learn why the future of sustainable dining starts with the choices we make, and the stories we tell, on every plate.

#Sustainability #ClimateAction #FoodSystems #NetZero #PlantBased #CircularEconomy #ClimateConfident

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