# Sustainable catering in Vienna: planning reusable tableware Canonical source: https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/ Language: en Content last modified: 2026-10-29 > Plan reusable tableware for Vienna catering: the context of city guidance, collection, cleaning responsibilities and considered buffet quantities. Reading version of the visible main content. The linked HTML page is authoritative. Navigation, form fields and interface controls are omitted. - [Home](https://deltacatering.at/en/) - [Catering blog](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/) - [Industry & considered planning](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/industry-planning/) - Reusable catering tableware: collection belongs in the menu plan [Industry & considered planning](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/industry-planning/) ## Reusable catering tableware: collection belongs in the menu plan A reusable bowl is only the beginning. It needs to be issued, returned, collected and cleaned. Sustainable catering in Vienna therefore requires planning the whole sequence. The updated city event guideline offers an occasion to examine the organisation behind tableware and the food served in it. Delta Catering editorial team30 October 20264 min read ![Service station with ceramic plates, linen napkins, glass carafes and stainless steel vessels](https://deltacatering.at/assets/editorial-reusable-event-catering-v32-1280.webp) Illustrative planning image: reusable tableware needs clear responsibilities for service and collection. ### In this article - [Put the city guideline in context](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#guidance-context) - [Plan the return route from the serving point](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#return-responsibility) - [Choose the dish and its vessel together](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#menu-and-vessels) - [Clean tableware must reach service in time](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#cleaning-and-replenishment) - [Food quantities remain a separate planning task](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#food-quantities) - [Use a precise brief instead of a broad promise](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#measurable-brief) - [Questions about this topic](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/sustainable-catering-vienna-reusable-tableware/#article-questions) ### What you will take away - Reusable tableware needs agreed return, cleaning and collection arrangements. - Choose food and tableware around the same guest experience. - Review planned quantities alongside actual consumption after the event. ### Put the city guideline in context The ÖkoKauf guideline of 17 March 2026 addresses City of Vienna event procurement. It is not a blanket legal basis for private celebrations. Our editorial focus translates a general objective into tasks that can be checked. The proposal should identify who supplies, manages and retrieves each item. These suggestions explain that organisation; they do not determine which requirements apply to an individual event. ### Plan the return route from the serving point ÖkoEvent brings together information on reusable systems, including tableware hire and options for washing on site. Our practical suggestion is to show the return route on the floor plan: where do guests leave plates, and how do those plates reach the designated working area? A collection surface does not settle the whole task. Specify who empties it and where full containers go. Separate the movement of used and clean items. Clarify whether guests return their tableware or staff clear it. ### Choose the dish and its vessel together The menu should suit its tableware. A sauce needs a different plate from a dry bite; bowl dishes usually need cutlery and somewhere to rest them. Understand that use before adding extra vessel sizes purely for presentation. At a reception, a coordinated small selection may be easier to handle than many differently served components. For a seated meal, table space and the sequence of service become more important. Plant-based menu ideas can fit either format; confirm ingredients and individual requirements separately from the tableware choice. ### Clean tableware must reach service in time Equipment planning depends on whether items are washed during the event or collected for return afterwards. These approaches require different quantities and spaces. If washing happens on site, agree suitable infrastructure, responsibility and the route back to service with the businesses involved. Include later coffee, dessert or a second reception. A glass may still be with one guest while another serving point needs replenishment. Assign someone to monitor stock and move reserves to the right location before service begins. ### Food quantities remain a separate planning task Reusable tableware does not answer how much food is needed. Start with a defensible attendance figure and distinguish full meals from accompanying snacks. For a buffet, discuss which dishes could be served in smaller batches and replenished according to the actual pace of service. A shorter selection can make decisions and replenishment easier to follow if it covers guests’ needs. Agree who monitors consumption. Discuss the handling of remaining food professionally in advance; later redistribution or taking food home is not an automatic solution for every dish. ### Use a precise brief instead of a broad promise Specify the reusable items, serving phases and responsibilities for return, cleaning and collection. Ask about return conditions and additional work. This makes responsibilities visible without promising a waste-free event. These details belong in the agreement alongside the menu. Delta Catering plans each service individually. Email office@deltacatering.at with the date, attendance, menu idea, venue, reusable tableware preferences and available working areas. Afterwards, reviewing returns and remaining quantities can make the next plan more specific. ### Questions about this topic **Does any durable container make a good reuse system?** The process matters too. Agree use, return, cleaning and subsequent reuse. Material alone does not explain how the container stays in circulation. **Who takes responsibility for cleaning?** The proposal should assign clear roles to caterer, hire company and venue. Agree timing, handover condition and collection before ordering. **Which records help with the next event?** Record attendance, consumption by serving phase, bottlenecks and tableware returns. These observations provide a concrete basis for planning your next occasion. ### Sources & context - [Stadt Wien: ÖkoKauf-Veranstaltungsrichtlinie (17. März 2026)](https://www.wien.gv.at/pdf/ma22/oekokauf/veranstaltungen.pdf) - [ÖkoEvent: Mehrwegsysteme](https://www.oekoevent.at/mehrwegsysteme) Sources support the stated location or report information. Planning suggestions drawn from them are Delta Catering editorial perspectives. ### For your actual plans [Plan with care](https://deltacatering.at/en/thoughtful-catering-planning/) [Service & equipment](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-service-equipment/) [Plan a buffet](https://deltacatering.at/en/buffet-catering/) [Plant-based menu ideas](https://deltacatering.at/en/vegan-catering-vienna/) ### Keep reading Industry & considered planning ### [Vienna as a meeting city: what catering needs to deliver](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/vienna-conference-catering-meeting-city/) What Vienna’s 2025 meeting report suggests for conference catering: coordinated breaks, suitable menus and a practical venue brief. 4 min read[Read the article](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/vienna-conference-catering-meeting-city/) Vienna & catering ### [A Ringstrasse reception with time to enjoy Vienna](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/ringstrasse-reception-catering-city-walk/) Plan a reception near Vienna’s Ringstrasse with an indoor venue, an optional city walk, suitable food and a clear welcome for both groups of guests. 4 min read[Read the article](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/ringstrasse-reception-catering-city-walk/) Vienna & catering ### [A summer evening by the Danube starts with the right venue](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/danube-summer-dinner-private-venue-catering/) Plan a summer dinner near Vienna’s Danube: compare private venues, indoor alternatives, arrival routes and a menu suited to an evening together. 4 min read[Read the article](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/danube-summer-dinner-private-venue-catering/) [All articles](https://deltacatering.at/en/catering-blog/)