Food Management & Support Services Company Focused on Social Responsibility
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 20, 2012) – Earth Day is celebrated every day at Compass Group USA with an emphasis placed on corporate social responsibility initiatives and partnerships. Over the past decade, they have led the foodservice industry with
groundbreaking policies that champion local farmers and fair trade; reduce the use of antibiotics in chicken, turkey and pork; commit to healthier oceans by purchasing sustainable seafood; focus on social justice; support sustainable agriculture and healthy rural economies; and promote farm animal welfare through 100 percent use of cage free shell eggs.
In the past year alone,
“When you look at our infrastructure, the tools, the partnerships, the programs and concepts developed internally and with well-respected third-party NGOs, Compass Group has truly created a robust and industry-leading corporate social responsibility program,” said Marc Zammit, VP Sustainability & Culinary Initiatives for Compass Group North America.
Carbon FOODPrint™Launched in April 2011, Compass Group created the
Carbon FOODPrint™ toolkit, a web-based system to help mitigate the carbon footprint of any foodservice account they operate. An easy-to-use application, it allows chefs and managers to create customized strategies to reduce their operations' carbon footprints by decreasing waste disposal and energy and water use. The development of the Carbon FOODPrint toolkit was in response to their clients' growing demands, many of which are part of the 2500 corporations and organizations in 60 countries that participate in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
Eurest’s Earth TableThis year, Eurest will celebrate Earth Day throughout the entire month of April,
with a cross-country and cross-sector promotion of Earth Table, an innovative Chef’s Table concept created by Eurest Vice President of Culinary Development
Chris Ivens-Brown. Designed to showcase their chefs’ culinary talents and environmentally friendly practices, the menu inspires awareness of and appreciation for the earth’s environment, while offering seasonally inspired restaurant quality cuisine made with fresh, local ingredients.
Ivens-Brown said, “The past few weeks as I’ve travelled the country, I’ve seen our associates and customers excited about the program. They want to eat better, feel better and support their local communities, especially the small and mid-sized farmers, and local flavors of their regions.”
Love Food Not Waste
The Love Food Not Waste campaign was developed to bring awareness and address client concerns about waste and its cost impact to the operation, and complements the work done when the Carbon FOODPrint(TM) is implemented. The campaign is composed of four key areas of waste related to foodservices: food waste, water, energy and packaging. Each area addresses ways in which associates and guests can reduce waste by encouraging changes in behaviors. Accounts have been engaged in a way that will have a big picture impact on the world around us and that makes good business sense for our clients.
Julia Jordan, Project Manager, Business Excellence explains, “"We have a huge opportunity to responsibly change the ways we use and abuse energy, water, food and disposables. As individuals and families, we share that same responsibility at home. Our team developed this easy-to-implement campaign, which helps our accounts take giant steps to reduce the environmental footprint of our operations, while at the same time teach responsible kitchen behaviors that will reduce costly wasteful practices.
Green CleaningCSR does not only apply to food issues, but also it impacts the support services side of the business.
Crothall Healthcare was the first cleaning provider dedicated exclusively to healthcare to achieve CIMS-GB (Green Building) certification with honors from ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association. This confirms Crothall's focus on environmental responsibility by way of embracing sustainable processes and methods as it relates to chemicals, equipment, recycling, process documentation, and practical solutions integration.
Rich Feczko, Crothall’s National Director of Systems, Standards & Global Support, adds, “It’s the only certification that validates the systems and practices behind a cleaning organization. It is the first, rigorous, third-party standard created to separate professional organizations capable of delivering consistent, customer-focused, high-quality service, from those cleaning companies that simply can't cut it. So far, Crothall is the only company dedicated to healthcare to achieve this designation.”
Evolution of CSR
“As we head into spring 2012, we’re seeing a maturation of the CSR process and deliverables within many Fortune 500 companies. We’re seeing a great understanding of the food issues; our client and guests are increasing their support for these CSR initiatives. It’s not solely a program, it’s a mindset that is evolving,” concludes Zammit.
About Compass Group North AmericaBased in Charlotte NC, Compass Group North America is the leading foodservice and support services company with $11 billion in revenues in 2011. With 470,000 associates worldwide, its parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC had revenues of ₤15.8 billion in the year to September 30, 2011.
http://www.compass-usa.com
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