How to Reduce Food Waste at your Sporting Event

By Connie Jeske Crane

“What happens with that food?” More fans today ask about waste, says Sharnell Hordo, vice-president, hospitality for Rogers Place and ICE District in Edmonton. “They don’t like to see food waste, just like we don’t like to see it.”

For sport organizers intent on cutting waste, big players offer leadership. As Second Harvest noted in its 2024 report on food waste within the hospitality sector, “Big corporate operations tend to run smoothly with relatively low food waste, especially in food prep, whereas smaller independent places often struggle…”

Happily, for smaller organizations, many corporate strategies translate well. Anne-Marie Villeneuve, vice-president of guest experience and operations for Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), says their efforts include inexpensive, “simple things people can do right away.”

Here’s advice from Hordo and Villeneuve on reducing waste:

Before your Event

LEVERAGE DATA PRE-EVENT
“We essentially take a data approach to ensuring we are prepping the appropriate amount of food for the type of event we’re doing,” says Hordo. Pouring over historical and demographic data, her organization learned “there’s a significant difference for what kind of food we need to prepare for a 6 p.m. Oilers game versus an 8 p.m. game,” and that families spike demand for ice cream, food combos and popcorn.

Other data to track includes weather, says Villeneuve, noting outdoor venues especially can prevent waste by adjusting menus accordingly. “You could be expecting a crowd of 10,000, then get thunder showers, so then you get 60 or 70% of that crowd.”

EMPOWER STAFF
Successful execution requires an informed culinary team, Villeneuve says. “Once you get that, the rest flows.” Besides following procedures, staff often discover new ways to eliminate waste, she adds.

ENLIST TECHNOLOGY
Hordo says tech tools (Rogers Place uses Compass Group’s Waste Not 2.0 food waste tracking programme) are the secret sauce. “We’re able to understand our fans’ habits and human behaviour trends within our building to help us predict purchasing and consumption patterns in each of our spaces.” Besides making extremely effective predictions, she says tools also “really help us manage our food costs.”

ADDRESS PLATE WASTE IN HOSPITALITY SUITES
Villeneuve explains it’s crucial to address plate waste here because, for food safety reasons, food can’t be donated. She suggests:

Small plates: “The bigger your plates are, the more food you’re going to put on there, and the more is going to end up in the garbage.”

Fewer menu choices: “You also reduce waste, because less options [means] less things on that plate.”

Stagger food service: Offering wings first, for example, then more choices later helps modulate consumption.

Pre-share menus to encourage thoughtful consumption: “You come with your appetite, but also for some people, it helps you decide. You say, ‘Oh, that dessert’s definitely what I’m holding on for.’”

Confirm final numbers to get an accurate count.

During your Event

Hordo advises a time-based system for foodservice (that considers game day rhythms), plus on-the-fly responsiveness. With hockey, she says, food volumes are broken down by what’s needed at doors open, during play, between periods, etc. Additionally, “Real-time adjustments are made through our culinary leaders, based on actual crowd size and buying habits.”

Post-Event

FOOD RECOVERY
“While we strive to minimize waste, unsold production is inevitable,” says Hordo, noting that ICE District Hospitality and the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation donate unused food to Second Harvest and La Tablée des Chefs. Similarly, OSEG works with partners such as Lionhearts and La Tablée des Chefs.

INDUSTRY EDUCATION AND CONSULTATION
Finally, experts recommend ongoing education and consultation. Their recommendations include:
• Green Sports Alliance
• La Tablée des Chefs
• ORCA Digesters
• Second Harvest
• Local municipal waste management
• Waste tracking apps

Published March 2025