Food scrap composting

With the warm weather and gardening season here, one question we’ve been getting a lot is, “Do you compost?” And we’re proud to say that we do!

Mundo Catering is currently working with the county and our garbage collection company on a food composting program to ensure all food scraps go to good use. Why did we decide to compost food, and how does it work? We’re glad you asked.

why did we start composting?

I (Chef Sarah) grew up in a household where we recycled and composted everything–before it was a popular thing to do. We washed and reused plastic bags and aluminum foil. We also separated items to recycle according to the numbers printed on them, cleaned and flattened cans, etc.

Our mission is always to serve great dishes, and we love supporting the environment and reducing waste while we’re at it, which is what inspired us to begin a composting program.

Also, as you might expect, a lot of food goes in and out of a catering company. And one thing we’ve noticed is that it’s easier to see what you’re spending a lot of money on when you see that food go into the composting bin. 

We can tell whether we’re buying too much of a specific food and what we can do to decrease the overall cost. Composting can also help keep your garbage costs down since there won’t be any food in the actual garbage can (just the food composting bin). 

Also, the mixed recycling and composting programs available now are so straightforward that we wanted to implement more of them in our business. It can also save us money, as Clackamas County isn’t currently charging for compost pickup. (Even if they were, though, it would be worth it.) 

Leftover food from an event

our goals

We hope to recycle and compost as many items as possible through employee training. It will take a while for it to become second nature, but hopefully, we won’t meet too much resistance. 

how it works

Our garbage company provided us with a labeled garbage can that we add leftover food to so that it doesn’t go to waste. We also have containers to hold the scraps on-location until we have time to move them to the bin outside at the end of the workday. 

The only thing we add to the composting containers is food. That means no paper towels, product packaging, trash, etc. We monitor the containers closely to ensure that food is the only thing that goes in.

Composting bucket

about us | portland catering services

Now that you know a little more about what Mundo Catering stands for, we hope you’ll give us a try. We are proud to serve the Portland community as a caterer for weddings, private events, film sets, and more. We cook a variety of dishes, catering to many dietary needs and allergy restrictions, and ensuring that everyone at your event has a delicious meal to eat. 

Discover more about our Portland catering services on our Blog, and find pictures in our Gallery.

Want to set up catering? Call us today: (971) 302-5041