Sustainable choices with lunch benefit

We want to encourage those who enjoy the benefits of Edenred to live well and sustainably. If all half a million users of our benefits would think about the environment in their daily choices, we could together do a huge amount of sustainable actions around Finland. So take both your well-being and the well-being of the environment into account when enjoying your lunch. 

Three easy everyday actions - enjoy a sustainable lunch with your lunch benefit

1. Go for plant-based lunches

The lunch benefit is the most popular employee benefit in Finland, giving you a nutritious break from your working day. The popularity of a plant-based diet is growing and the trend is here to stay.

Choose colorful, vegetable-rich lunch dishes to put on your plate. A plant-forward diet is not only delicious but also comes with many health benefits; it can help manage blood pressure and keep cholesterol in check. By cutting back on red meat and processed meats, you reduce your carbon footprint and also lower your risk of diseases like cancer and diabetes.*

2. Minimize food waste at home and in lunch restaurants

Food waste is edible food that ends up in the trash. In Finland, around 28 kg of food is thrown away per person per year, which is a waste not only of food and money but also of natural resources. Every kilo of food thrown away is a huge amount that we can easily reduce by paying more attention to when shopping for food and cooking.**

The amount of food waste in restaurants and other catering services is also unfortunately high, with around 64 000 000 kg (you read that right, 64 MILLION kilos) of food ending up in the trash each year. Waste in the food service sector is caused by food being thrown away from the lines, usually by customers. In addition, there is waste from leftovers and cooking.** When enjoying your lunch benefit at a standing table in a lunch restaurant, only put what you eat on your plate. Remember, you can always get more food from the standing table! 

3. Choose domestic, seasonal ingredients

Finland's four seasons affect the quality, taste, availability, and price of ingredients. By choosing to eat the best vegetables and fruits from each season, your diet will have more variety and be healthier and you can easily try new things. 

Seasonal eating is also a sustainable choice, as your carbon footprint is reduced especially when using seasonal ingredients.* By paying attention to the seasons, you can enjoy delicious and environmentally friendly meals while lowering your carbon footprint.

Towards a more sustainable food system

Our food system still requires significant change to become truly sustainable, and this calls for new approaches and cooperation among various stakeholders. Finnish agricultural entrepreneurs are ready to provide safe and healthy domestic food, but economic pressures and uncertainty about the impact of environmental measures pose challenges. It is encouraging to see that one-fifth of farms have already adopted voluntary environmental actions, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.

However, change requires more dialogue and collaboration between different actors. Consumers play a key role in this process; for most, the climate and environmental impacts of food are not yet central to their decision-making, even though there is growing interest in more sustainable and ethical eating. We must work together to create an environment where awareness and understanding can grow and deepen.

Future-oriented thinking is vital, as it helps actors within the food system to identify new opportunities and develop solutions that support both ecological sustainability and economic viability. Strengthening financial literacy and advisory services are ways to steer agriculture in a more sustainable direction.***

The future is in our hands, and it’s time to join forces for a more sustainable food system—one that serves both the environment and the needs of consumers.

We take both large and small steps as we implement sustainable development 

Edenred supports sustainable development both in big and small ways: The values of sustainable development guide our actions now and in the future—through both everyday choices and global responsibility and charity initiatives. We are committed to raising awareness about food waste, encouraging our partner network and benefit users to adopt healthier lifestyles, and taking the environment into account at lunchtime.

Sources: 

* Ruokavirasto (25.07.2025)
** Hävikkiviikko (25.07.2025) (In Finnish)
*** Luonnonvarakeskus (25.07.2025) (In Finnish)