The circular office

In a circular office, there is no more waste and raw materials retain their value even after use. This requires a different way of thinking and acting. As an innovative service provider, we help organisations make offices circular through smart procurement, reducing waste, reusing raw materials and encouraging sustainable behaviour.

Sarah Hengeveld, Project Manager Corporate Social Responsibility at Sodexo, on wastefree business practices at the Shell location. At the Shell Campus The Hague, Sodexo is responsible for almost all hard and soft facility management and food services.

Smart procurement

‘Shell’s goal is to have no waste and when we do have it, to recycle as much as possible. It’s all about refuse, reduce, recycle. This starts with knowing which raw materials you’re buying. We conducted procurement analyses for this. For example, our repro department went looking for an alternative to paper lamination and cleaning tested a new cleaning product based on ozone water. That turned out to work just as well and resulted in less plastic waste.’

Waste reduction

‘Reducing food waste is one of the key issues for Sodexo. In our company restaurants at Shell, we use data to fine-tune offerings and visitor numbers. We make smaller portions and use the WasteWatch to weigh kitchen waste. We sell leftover meals and products through Too Good To Go.’

Reuse of raw materials

‘Shell has composting machines that we use to process green waste and biodegradable tableware into compost. We donate this to The Participation Kitchen (De Participatie Keuken), a local social foundation, who then uses it for their herb gardens and apple trees. And they use those apples to make delicious cakes, which we in turn sell in the restaurant.

‘It’s nice to see how we’re working with our customers on circular goals. Creative collaborations are emerging and employees are gradually becoming more aware of their own role in waste management.’

From waste to apple pie: a nice circular loop!’

Encouraging sustainable behaviour

‘Many office workers have other things on their minds than separating waste. So the key is to make this as easy as possible. We show which waste goes where using clear symbols on the bins. We’ve also introduced a special reusable lunch box and coffee mug that gives employees discounts at our coffee bars and restaurant. What’s more, we train our employees, from baristas to cleaners to mechanics, in making sustainable choices and how to inform others about sustainability. As part of raising awareness, we share stories behind the sustainable initiatives and waste streams internally.’

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