Quick Summary: Eco-friendly event catering in Singapore rests on three operational pillars: reducing packaging waste through biodegradable materials, minimising food waste through redistribution and upcycling, and cutting emissions through smarter sourcing and logistics. Shiok Kitchen Catering's sustainability programme covers all three, offering event organisers a rare level of operational detail behind its eco-friendly claims. This article walks through exactly how each pillar works in practice.
Pillar One: Packaging Waste
Packaging is the most visible sustainability signal at any event — guests see and handle it directly, making it a natural focus for eco-friendly catering claims. But not all "eco packaging" is equal, and it's worth understanding the difference between genuinely biodegradable materials and simply differently-shaped plastic.
Shiok Kitchen reports that approximately 75% of its packaging was biodegradable in 2024, using:
- Cornware — plant-based alternatives to plastic plates and cutlery
- Food-grade paper — used for wraps and lining
- Kraft bags — for takeaway and transport packaging
- Compostable trays — for buffet and individual serving containers
The company has set a target of reaching 80% biodegradable packaging by 2025, showing a specific, trackable improvement goal rather than a vague aspiration. Beyond front-of-house packaging, Shiok Kitchen also runs recycling programmes covering cooking oil, paper, e-waste, and metals — materials that don't reach guests directly but represent a significant share of a catering operation's total waste stream.
Pillar Two: Food Waste Management
Food waste is arguably the most overlooked sustainability issue in the catering industry, since surplus food is often assumed to be an unavoidable cost of doing business. Shiok Kitchen challenges this assumption through two coordinated strategies:
- Redistribution — through partnerships with food rescue organisations The Red Collective and Summit Rescues, Shiok Kitchen redistributed over 5,700 kg of safe, untouched food in 2024, redirecting surplus catering food to people who need it rather than letting it go to waste
- Upcycling — for food that can't be safely redistributed, Shiok Kitchen partners with Ento Industries to convert organic waste into animal feed and fertiliser, keeping it out of landfill entirely
This two-tier system — prioritising human redistribution before falling back to upcycling — reflects a more thoughtful food waste hierarchy than caterers who only compost or, worse, simply discard surplus food.
Pillar Three: Sourcing and Emissions
The third pillar covers what happens before food ever reaches an event: sourcing decisions and the emissions generated by producing, transporting, and preparing it. Shiok Kitchen holds Farm-to-Table (Mid Tier) recognition, reflecting sourcing practices that reduce the distance food travels from producer to plate. On the emissions side, the company reports a 1.7% carbon emissions reduction and 3.8% energy use intensity reduction in FY2024, alongside plans to convert its delivery fleet to electric vehicles — a move that would directly cut transport-related emissions for every event it serves.
For companies wanting to go further, Shiok Kitchen also offers a dedicated carbon-neutral catering option that actively offsets remaining emissions through verified Renewable Energy Certificates, on top of the baseline reduction efforts described here.
How to Evaluate an Eco-Friendly Caterer in Singapore
When comparing caterers on eco-friendly credentials, event organisers should ask for specifics rather than accepting general claims:
- What percentage of packaging is genuinely biodegradable, and is there a public target for improvement?
- Does the caterer have named partnerships for food redistribution or upcycling, and can they share actual volumes?
- Is sourcing tracked in any way (e.g., Farm-to-Table certification), or is "local" used loosely?
- Are emissions and energy use measured year-over-year, or is there no baseline data at all?
- Which independent bodies have certified the caterer's sustainability claims?
Shiok Kitchen answers all five of these questions publicly on its sustainability page, which is a useful benchmark when vetting other providers.
Applying Eco-Friendly Catering to Your Event
These sustainability pillars aren't limited to a single event type or menu. They apply consistently whether you're booking a large-scale corporate buffet, a formal sit-down dinner, an interactive live station setup, or wedding catering for a couple who wants their celebration to reflect their values. Because Shiok Kitchen's sustainability practices are baked into its overall operations rather than offered as a separate premium package, choosing eco-friendly catering doesn't require sacrificing menu variety, presentation, or service quality.
Why Transparency Around These Three Pillars Matters
The reason it's worth breaking eco-friendly catering down into these three specific pillars — packaging, food waste, and sourcing/emissions — rather than treating "eco-friendly" as one vague category, is that it allows for genuine accountability. A caterer can be strong in one area and weak in another, and without breaking the claim down into measurable components, it's difficult for event organisers to know what they're actually getting. Shiok Kitchen's willingness to publish specific figures across all three pillars, rather than a single blanket statement, is precisely what allows this level of scrutiny, and it's the standard other caterers should reasonably be held to when they use similar language.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What percentage of Shiok Kitchen's packaging is actually biodegradable? Shiok Kitchen reports approximately 75% biodegradable packaging usage in 2024, using materials like cornware, food-grade paper, kraft bags, and compostable trays, with a stated target of reaching 80% by 2025. This is a disclosed, trackable figure rather than a general "eco-friendly" claim.
2. Where does surplus food go after a Shiok Kitchen catered event? Surplus, untouched food is first redirected through Shiok Kitchen's partnerships with food rescue organisations The Red Collective and Summit Rescues, which redistributed over 5,700 kg of food in 2024. Food that cannot be safely redistributed is sent to Ento Industries for upcycling into animal feed and fertiliser rather than landfill disposal.
3. Does Shiok Kitchen track where its ingredients are sourced from? Yes. Shiok Kitchen holds Farm-to-Table (Mid Tier) recognition, reflecting sourcing practices that aim to reduce the distance ingredients travel and support more localised supply chains, which is part of its broader eco-friendly catering commitment.
4. Is eco-friendly catering from Shiok Kitchen more expensive than standard catering? Shiok Kitchen's sustainability practices, including biodegradable packaging and food redistribution partnerships, are built into its standard operations rather than offered as a separate premium tier, meaning eco-friendly catering does not require choosing a fundamentally different or pricier menu category.
5. Can Shiok Kitchen provide documentation of its eco-friendly practices for my company's ESG reporting? Yes. Shiok Kitchen publishes a detailed annual Sustainability Report covering food waste, packaging, and emissions data, which is available for download and can support corporate clients who need supplier sustainability data for their own ESG disclosures.
Ready to Cater an Eco-Friendly Event in Singapore?
Great catering and genuine environmental responsibility aren't mutually exclusive — Shiok Kitchen Catering proves it every day. Explore the Sustainability page, download the full Sustainability Report, or send an enquiry today — call 6411 4994 or email sales@skcatering.com to start planning.
About Shiok Kitchen Catering
Shiok Kitchen Catering is a MUIS halal-certified caterer with more than 20 years of experience and one of Singapore's most transparent sustainability programmes, recognised with Low Carbon SG certification, Farm-to-Table (Mid Tier) status, the SACEOS Gold Sustainability Certificate, and the ESBN Green Badge. Its services include Corporate Buffet Catering, Sit-Down Plated Dining, Live Stations, Wedding Catering, and Wellness Menus. Learn more at shiokkitchencatering.com.sg or contact sales@skcatering.com / 6411 4994.
