When purchasing food for the menus in the staff restaurant, those responsible work to ensure freshness, regionality and seasonality. Products from organic and sustainable agriculture are preferred, and only high-quality and natural ingredients are used for the diverse menus. Heavily processed or preserved foods are avoided, as are products that are transported to Switzerland by air.
In addition to sustainability aspects, the health and well-being of employees are a key issue when compiling menu plans. In the Zurich staff restaurants, healthy, nutritious and sustainable meals and snacks are available every day for employees to eat immediately or take away. A standard portion for a single meal does not exceed 700 calories on average. In addition to this, employees will find detailed information on ingredients, possible allergens and carbon dioxide emissions for all menus. What's more, Zurich ensures that wherever food is sold and provided on site, no trans fats are used, the frying oil is changed regularly and disposed of correctly, and the palm oil in the ingredients used and snacks sold is from sustainable organic sources.
Since 2019, Zurich has consistently endeavored to eliminate single-use plastics from its operations. Only reusable cutlery, glasses and crockery are used in the staff restaurants. In the take-away offers, only products with sustainable packaging solutions that do not contain plastics or bioplastics are sold. What's more, all drinks are available in returnable bottles instead of PET bottles as before, and all coffee and water cups are compostable and recyclable. Furthermore, Zurich's catering provider uses environmentally friendly cleaning products that meet the necessary Swiss health and safety requirements.
Together with the Danish company Too Good To Go and the app of the same name, Zurich is actively fighting against food waste. Employees can use the app to see which food is left over, and can then purchase it at a reduced price. This can save food and thus reduce waste, thereby making the company more sustainable. Unavoidable kitchen waste as well as food leftovers on plates are collected and regularly recycled into biogas by a specialist company.
Zurich places its employees at the center of what it stands for and takes responsibility for their well-being. It uses internal campaigns to raise awareness among employees about sustainability and health.
Through sustainable menu plans with regional and seasonal products in our staff restaurants and the consistent reduction of plastic and food waste, we strive to make our operations more sustainable every day.
Antonio Atorino, Operations Sustainability Specialist
