When Elephants Delicatessen opened its doors in 1979, the goal was to offer Portlanders gourmet foods from around the world right alongside fresh, local foods made from scratch. Back then, owner Elaine Tanzer made it a priority to be a sustainable business well before awards and accolades were doled out for the green minded.  

Elephants was one of the first commercial kitchens in Portland to begin composting food waste. Elephants is a Portland Recycle at Work business and the winner of the National Energy Star Award for sustainable businesses and partners with other sustainable businesses, sustainable wineries, creameries, ranchers and farmers. 

Elephants’ delivery trucks run on biodiesel, and soon its corporate lunch division will offer sack lunches delivered by bike.  

Elephants encourages clients to use its inventory of real serviceware instead of disposable. Casseroles, for example, are typically delivered in glass baking dishes that are later picked up, washed and reused. 

They also offer PLA, or corn-based, plastics that are less harmful to the environment to produce and break down. Instead of always packing up cases of bottled water, the caterer puts together a water station with glasses and pitchers or beverage dispensers. And catering staff is happy to set up compost and recycling stations to deal with waste.  

“Some of these steps seem simple,” Weaver said, “But they go a long way toward helping catering clients create sustainable events.” 

Visit www.elephantsdeli.com for menus and details or call 503-224-3955