Webinar: How to implement reuse systems for food packaging in institutional catering

This webinar brings together strategic, operational, and analytical perspectives on how reuse systems for food packaging can be implemented in institutional catering settings. 

The core of the webinar is a moderated panel discussion with selected partners from the Change(K)now project. The discussion focuses on lessons learned, concrete dos and don’ts, organisational challenges, staff involvement, and system design, showing how reuse systems can be integrated into everyday catering operations in practice. 

Our panel

• Lahti will explain how sustainability criteria for food packaging were incorporated into a public catering system that serves 2.5 million meals per year. Circular ambitions were translated into concrete tender requirements through public procurement processes, supplier dialogue and cross-value chain workshops. The presentation will cover supplier responsibilities, packaging innovations, economic feasibility and the practical steps required to incorporate packaging criteria into everyday operations
• Copenhagen will present how reusable food packaging was tested in schools and municipal catering and embedded within the Resource and Waste Strategy 2030. The discussion will show how reuse was aligned with existing waste infrastructure, coordinated across departments, and supported by data collection to inform scaling decisions in a large metropolitan administration.
• Tallinn will outline how reuse in institutional catering was incorporated into the Tallinn Circular Economy Development Plan 2035 and translated into procurement requirements. The presentation will describe working group processes, contractual adjustments in school catering, and how City Council approval in June 2025 strengthened implementation across departments.
• Stockholm Environment Institute will provide an overview of key insights across all four institutional catering pilots carried out within the project, highlighting common challenges, enabling factors, and differences between large and small municipalities.

Q&A and interaction

There will be time for questions and discussion with the panel, allowing participants to clarify uncertainties and reflect on how the experiences shared relate to their own context.
Participants will also have the opportunity to request 1:1 consultation with the pilot experts after the webinar. 

Submit your question – feedback from our panel

Do you face a concrete barrier or challenge when working with reuse systems for food packaging in institutional catering? 

Participants are invited to submit a specific question, barrier, or short case description in advance. During the webinar, selected questions will be addressed by our panel, who will provide practical feedback and recommendations based on their experience. 

To submit a question or case, please contact project manager Nicole Nordart (nino@gate21.dk) ahead of the webinar.