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

Send me a message 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 Podcast supporters I"d like to sincerely thank this podcast"s amazing subscribers: Ben Gross Jerry Sweeney Andreas Werner Stephen Carroll Roger Arnold And remember you too can Subscribe to the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one, as well as give you access to the entire back catalog of Climate Confident episodes. Contact If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don"t forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. Credits Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper