The canteen at Copenhagen City Hall receives the Swan Label.

Økologisk Nu
The canteen at Copenhagen City Hall receives the Swan Label.

The canteen at Copenhagen City Hall was one of the country's first canteens, which as early as 2010, during the first years of organic meal labels, received the Silver Organic Meal Label. The label has since been upgraded to a Gold Meal Label, and now the city's persistent focus on sustainability has led to the canteen also being Svanemærket (the Nordic Swan Ecolabel), according to a press release from Copenhagen Municipality. Whether the canteen serves city hall pancakes, open-faced sandwiches, or warm lunch dishes, employees and guests at Copenhagen City Hall can now dine in an organic canteen that is demonstrably working to reduce its overall environmental and climate impact. The requirements of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel include, among other things, that at least 30% of the raw materials used by the canteen must be organic, but this requirement is child's play for the gold-labeled canteen at Copenhagen City Hall, where the organic percentage is three times higher, as the requirement for the gold label is that at least 90% of the raw materials must be organic. With the Svanemærket, the canteen must also, at a minimum, offer a vegetarian dish and systematically work to prevent food waste, reduce energy and water consumption, and limit the use of unwanted chemicals in, for example, cleaning and dishwashing. A joint effort in the kitchen The canteen at Copenhagen City Hall is operated by Compass Group Denmark, which has worked closely and purposefully with Copenhagen Municipality to obtain the certification. According to Compass Group, the process has required documentation, new routines, and a significant effort from the kitchen staff. "We are proud to have achieved the Svanemærket together with Copenhagen Municipality. The certification demonstrates that Copenhagen City Hall's canteen meets some of the industry's highest environmental standards, including those related to raw materials, food waste, waste management, and resource consumption. At the same time, the certification shows that it is possible to deliver high-quality meal experiences while meeting ambitious environmental requirements," says Anne-Sofie Hattesen, ESG manager at Compass Group Denmark.

The canteen at Copenhagen City Hall was one of the country's first canteens, which already in the early years of organic meal labels in 2010 received the Silver Organic Meal Label. The label has since been upgraded to a Gold Meal Label, and now the municipality's persistent focus on sustainability has led to the canteen also being Svanemærket (Danish Swan Label), according to a press release from Copenhagen Municipality.

Whether the canteen serves city hall pancakes, open-faced sandwiches, or warm lunch dishes, employees and guests at Copenhagen City Hall can now dine in an organic canteen that demonstrably works to reduce its overall environmental and climate impact.

The requirements for the Swan Label include, among other things, a requirement that at least 30 percent of the raw materials used by the canteen must be organic, but this requirement is child's play for the gold-labeled canteen at Copenhagen City Hall, where the organic percentage is three times higher, as the requirement for the gold label is that at least 90 percent of the raw materials must be organic.

With the Swan Label, the canteen must also, at a minimum, offer a vegetarian dish and systematically work to prevent food waste, reduce energy and water consumption, and limit the use of unwanted chemicals in, for example, cleaning and dishwashing.

A joint effort in the kitchen

The canteen at Copenhagen City Hall is operated by Compass Group Denmark, which has worked closely and purposefully with Copenhagen Municipality to achieve the certification. According to Compass Group, the process has required documentation, new routines, and a significant effort from the kitchen staff.

”We are proud to have achieved the Swan Label together with Copenhagen Municipality. The certification demonstrates that Copenhagen City Hall's canteen meets some of the industry's highest environmental standards in areas such as raw materials, food waste, waste management, and resource consumption. At the same time, the certification shows that it is possible to deliver high-quality meal experiences and meet ambitious environmental requirements,” says Anne-Sofie Hattesen, ESG manager at Compass Group Denmark.