Leading catering management provider MCTC has confirmed its dedication to the environment by setting out a list of measures to reduce carbon emissions produced through its own operations and bringing about positive change through education and awareness campaigns.

In January, the international catering management provider began its drive to reduce its carbon emissions by vowing to look at optimising transportation and logistics, improving waste management practices and using renewable energy in a bid to improve its carbon footprint. It will also assess and measure its own emissions so it has a clear picture of how its operations can be improved.

MCTC is delighted to be able to report a positive change in the attitudes and behaviour of a number of companies it works with, following a series of education and awareness initiatives. It now includes invasive species on its requisition list, allowing companies to directly purchase and deliver the sustainably–sourced product through MCTC, following a campaign to encourage companies to consider using lionfish and other invasive species on its menus.

Since the Invasive Species campaign was launched with a live cooking demonstration in 2022, MCTC has supplied 768Kg of Asian Carp, Silver Carp, and Asian Carp fillets to vessels. It has also seen nine of its major client groups introducing invasive species onto its menus. Supplies have come from Europe, US, and the Arabian Sea Coastline.

With 22,000 seafarers under its catering management, MCTC is aware of how the packaging of food can contribute to GHGs and has been raising awareness of this with its network of suppliers. It now publishes data on CO2 emissions per unit of product available through reporting software to encourage other companies to make informed choices.

Group CEO at MCTC, Christian Ioannou said: “We are very proud to see so many of the companies we work with react positively to our environmental campaigns. The impact of our initiatives has been evident in the behavioural change in some of our collaborators. We have seen a number of  them embrace eco-friendly practices, such as using biodegradable materials for packing supplies, marking a turning point in the use of more eco-friendly practices.

“The progress we have made is testament to our education and dedication to a sustainable future for all stakeholders. We recognise the importance of maintaining this momentum and have plans in place for future educational campaigns and strategies that align with our sustainability goals and commitment to responsible environmental practices.”

MCTC has also run a campaign on Single-Use Plastics where it has run webinars and awareness initiatives to encourage clients to reduce the use of plastic water bottles onboard by introducing water filtration systems onto vessels, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic bottles.