we donate

We continue to partner with food banks around NYC to donate leftover food from our events, to members of our local community. Working with organizations like Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to facilitate donations ensures that safe food handling + transportation meets established standards. According to the national resources defense council {rdc}, “up to 40 percent of the food in the united states is never eaten, but at the same time, one in eight Americans struggles to put enough food on the table.” Our mission is to reduce both of these disheartening statistics through our food donation partnerships.


we compost

Through our composting initiative in house + at events, Pinch is committed to reducing the amount of organic materials sent to landfills every day. Trash is the third largest source of human related methane emissions in the united states. By separating food scraps + biodegradables from other trash we generate, Pinch is diverting these items from landfills, where they wouldn’t be able to decompose, to waste diversion facilities, where they can properly breakdown + evolve into soil.



we participate in advanced recycling programs

Recycling has a myriad of benefits, including conservation of natural resources, job creation at recycling facilities + preventing additional pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials. For this reason + many more, we continue to separate recyclable glass, plastic + aluminum from general waste, in house + at events.

We also recycle those materials that create a bit more of a challenge
Partnering with g2 revolution, we are able to recycle soft plastics, such as plastic film, latex + nitrile-based gloves + plastic bags. We send these hard-to-recycle plastics to the g2 plant, where they separate + weigh, then send along to Covanta, a waste-to-energy facility that converts approximately 21 million tons of waste per year into power for over 01 million homes. For oil + grease, we partner with Tri-state biodiesel. By donating/ recycling our used cooking oil + grease, we are contributing to the supply of a cleaner burning fuel that helps reduce environmental problems such as acid rain + smog, while following proper disposal protocols.


we design food that limits waste

We use every part of every ingredient that we can, to increase our creativity, while also minimizing our waste. Some examples:

  • Broccoli stems + carrot tops are among the parts of vegetables typically considered “waste” that we use to make purees + sauces.

  • We also dehydrate that “waste,” along with excess herbs, to create vibrant + flavorful powders for dusting.

  • Our vegetarian corn dogs are made from the fruit + vegetable by products of juicing.




carbon neutrality

  • We quantify our carbon footprint
    “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” This is why we partner with the Earth institute at Columbia University to calculate the unavoidable carbon footprint of our events {food, beverage, transportation, etc.} + operations {electricity, fuel, etc.}. Knowing our carbon footprint allows us to offset our climate impacts + offer clients 100% carbon neutral events.

  • We offset our footprint to become carbon neutral
    By purchasing carbon offsets through Terrapass, an organization whose sole purpose is to help individuals + businesses take responsibility for their climate impact, we are able to neutralize our carbon footprint. Terrapass funds multiple sustainability facilities + projects across the united states:

    • Landfill gas capture projects turn garbage into electricity.

    • Farm power facilities harvest methane from animal waste + convert it into energy to power homes.

    • Wind power replaces the electricity generated by fossil fuels like gas + coal.

 
our zero waste pledge :
same great parties, healthier planet


At Pinch, our work is as much about sustainability as it is about taste + presentation. Our tastefully curated + interactive catering experiences are designed to maximize your guests’ surprise + delight, while minimizing impact on the environment.
While sustainability has always defined our aesthetic, in 2020, we’re taking environmental stewardship to the next level. By rolling out initiatives to improve processes throughout the entire life of your event – from the upstream supply chain + through our daily operations, to before, during + after your party – we will achieve our goals using key ingredients: sustainable food + beverage, sustained carbon neutrality + a 100% zero waste pledge.
By partnering with the Earth Institute at Columbia University {to quantify our carbon emissions}, Terrapass {to offset those emissions}, g2 revolution {for hard-to-recycle plastics} + royal waste {for composting}, we’re leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of our present mission. By partnering with Zero Foodprint, we’re also looking ahead, funding the future of sustainable agriculture so that organic + responsibly sourced produce don’t have to be a luxury.
The best part? We’ll do it without compromising flavor + aesthetic. Same great parties. Healthier planet.


we use biodegradable serveware

When disposables are required for an event, we exclusively use 100% biodegradable + bpi-certified compostable products, continuing our efforts to divert waste from landfills. We proudly partner with Verterra, a supplier of stylish + sustainable disposable dinnerware + packaging, whose products are created from fallen palm leaves + the balsa wood from leftover tree trunks.



our food + beverage

We do our best to purchase as local + in-season as possible, from family-owned +/or accredited suppliers.

  • Fish
    We source our fish from two main vendors. Greenpoint fish & lobster co., a traceable + seasonal seafood market in Brooklyn, + Blue ribbon fish, a family-owned + operated vendor in the Bronx, that has had decades-long relationships with the world’s most sustainable fisheries. We exclusively purchase seafood that is either ‘certified sustainable’ by the marine stewardship council or, in the least, not listed on the ‘avoid’ list, maintained by the Monterey bay aquarium seafood watch.

  • Meat
    We buy our meats from Heritage foods, a collective of farms that raises ancient breeds in the most humane conditions, + Ottomanelli & sons, a local, family-owned butcher shop. We prioritize grass fed, free range + antibiotic-free meat + poultry. We also continue to expand our vegan offerings, including many recipes using the “impossible” + “beyond” brands produce. We proudly purchase local + seasonal produce from farmer’s markets around, prioritizing organic, when inventory allows.

  • Wine
    We serve wine made with sustainably grown organic grapes as a part of our house package.






our commitment to zerofoodprint

Via our partnership with Zero Food Print, we are committed to supporting small-scale agriculture
By donating 1% of total event costs to ZFP through Pinch Food Design, clients are funding sustainable + regenerative agriculture practices, as well as a more resilient agriculture industry as a whole, to help ensure healthy soils + nutritious food for future generations.

Farms are eligible for grants from ZFP when they commit to practicing “carbon” farming over “industrial” farming. Carbon farming’s main purpose is to restore soil biology to the land, which naturally pulls {literally} tons of carbon out of the atmosphere. Unfortunately, this also makes farms ineligible for government subsidies, so they depend on other sources of income in order to make their mission economically viable.

If we as a population want to continue to buy organic + sustainably farmed produce, we need to fund their continued production. This is why contributing to non-profits like Zero Food Print is so important + why we’re so proud to be a part of it.




at pinch

  • The Pinch pledge

    Sustainability is a core value at Pinch Food Design – one shared by everyone who chooses to work with us. All members of our team sign the “pinch pledge” when coming onboard, which commits them to upholding our sustainability initiatives + missions. The pinch pledge includes commitments to compost all food scraps + bpi-certified compostable serveware, properly recycle all materials, including the harder-to-recycle items like plastic film + rubber gloves, use bar towels instead of paper, bring reusable containers + bottles for the food + beverage they bring from home + so many more.

  • Daily operations
    It’s not only about what we do, but also what we use to get it done. We proudly use a variety of eco-friendly products throughout our daily operations. These include eco-friendly cleaning supplies in concentrated form to reduce plastic packaging, energy efficient office machines to minimize our carbon footprint + recycled paper to avoid investing in the extraction of new raw materials. Purchasing products such as these is just another way pinch is helping to invest in a lower carbon economy.