Bayou Catering and Seasoning

Bayou Catering and Seasoning, a long-time participant of the St. Louis Earth Day Festival, has incorporated many of the vendor rules of the festival into their everyday practices.

Bayou Catering and Seasoning has worked to minimize their impact: they don’t use straws, they have all compostable and recyclable to-go items, and, most importantly, they gave up Styrofoam years ago to participate in the St. Louis Earth Day Festival – and they’ve never gone back. Although alternatives to Styrofoam always cost more, Susan Putman (owner and operator) says that she’s actually saved money moving to compostables. That’s because she has better portion control with cups than the Styrofoam bowls or clamshells she once used. Another waste- and money-saving tactic that Bayou Catering and Seasoning uses is to buy their condiments in bulk, so they don’t have to use single-use packets of ketchup, which are not ever recyclable. They minimize food waste by planning to sell out at events – all leftovers are given to her staff at the end of the evening shift. Staff even brings their own containers in anticipation of bringing home the fruits of their labor.

They source the produce for their Holy Trinity mix from local farms, and they source antibiotic-free chicken for their dishes. Bayou Catering and Seasoning cooks up a mean vegetarian red beans and rice, a satisfying, filling meal for meatless customers. Bayou Catering and Seasoning makes a special trip to take the recyclable waste they generate – including Hard-to-Recycle items like electronics and light bulbs – to Recycle Works West, leaving little behind for the landfill. Their dishwasher detergent, all-purpose cleaner, and hand soaps are made by Better Life, a local company who designs their cleaning products with environmental considerations.