Across the hospitality industry, from bustling kitchens to serene summer camps, sustainability challenges loom large. Whether it’s the electricity burned keeping ovens and extractor fans running all day, the gloves and disposables tossed after a single use, or the pounds of uneaten food ending up in landfills, the sector has historically been a waste-heavy space. Among these concerns, food waste stands out as one of the most urgent and actionable problems and one that WOLFoods is tackling head-on.

To confront this challenge and lead a broader movement toward sustainable practices in camp food service, WOLFoods has partnered with Green Camps, a nonprofit focused on helping camps reduce their environmental impact. Together, they launched a new pilot initiative: the WOLFoods-Green Camps Sustainability Road Trip, which made stops at 13 WOLFoods-partner camps across the Midwest and Northeast during the summer of 2025.

“We go beyond delicious food on a plate. As a partner to our camps, we bring education, whether that be on a balanced diet, nutrition, or sustainability practices, our goal is to make a difference,” said Michael Wolf, founder of WOLFoods.

The two-week road trip was led by Danny Sudman, Executive Director of Green Camps, and funded entirely by WOLFoods. It was not about finger-pointing; it was about collaboration. At each stop, Sudman and the WOLFoods team conducted walkthroughs of kitchens, storage rooms, and dining halls; observed daily operations; and engaged in candid discussions with staff and camp leadership. The goal was to uncover simple, practical ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and ultimately save money.

“This project deepened my appreciation for the heart of camp, the kitchen, and the incredible teams behind it. I’m excited it will spark real change in how camps approach sustainability,” said Sudman.

Green Camps, with over 10 years of experience in the camping world, offers camp tools, training, and certification to build greener programs. Through this partnership, they brought that expertise directly into camp kitchens, giving staff a chance to reflect on sustainability goals and get tailored feedback. Each participating camp also received a free one-year Green Camps membership and access to social media templates to proudly share their sustainability efforts with families.

One of the major issues identified was just how much food gets wasted. “Most camps don’t even realize how much is being thrown away,” said Wolf. “We start by measuring it. If you are not tracking it, you can’t fix it.”

Throughout the tour, the team was able to clarify not only what the current situation looks like but also come up with actionable plans for implementation. One such future plan would include weighing uneaten food after meals, this would allow WOLFoods to provide immediate visibility to dining staff and campers alike. This feedback will become a powerful teaching tool. Signs in dining halls would highlight how many pounds of food had been wasted the previous day, sparking conversations and behavioral shifts among campers. Simple suggestions, like checking other tables for leftovers before requesting more, were introduced to build awareness and reduce demand.

But Wolf is realistic. “There’s always going to be some food waste as we must prioritize plentiful meals for the communities we serve. So then the question becomes, what do you do with it?”

In some camps, that answer has already taken root. At some camps, for example, WOLFoods helped establish a connection with a local shelter, where surplus meals are now delivered twice a week instead of being discarded. In other locations, composting programs are in development, with a company-wide composting initiative slated for rollout next summer.

This isn’t just about food. Sustainability extends to everything from switching out disposables for biodegradable alternatives to reducing water usage and even evaluating energy consumption habits, like leaving ovens running when not in use. Green Camps also encourages the formation of “Green Teams” at each site, groups that include not just staff but campers, who drive education and initiatives forward.

“There’s also a financial side to this,” Wolf pointed out. “Wasteful behavior leads to wasted money. The more we can reduce waste, the more resources camps have to reinvest in their programs, their people, and their facilities.”

And for the Green Camp and WOLFoods duo, education is central. “This is not just about helping our clients run more efficiently, it’s about instilling values in the next generation,” Wolf said. “If we can help campers understand why this matters, we have already made an impact.”

The Sustainability Road Trip may have wrapped for the summer, but its results are just beginning to take shape. In the coming months, WOLFoods and Green Camps will deliver personalized reports to each participating camp, summarizing findings and suggesting actionable steps. A final project summary will also highlight best practices and stories from across the journey.

As Wolf sees it, this is only the beginning. “We are committed to being a positive force in the camp world. This partnership with Green Camps is a big part of that, and we are excited about where it goes from here.”