Hilton, in collaboration with Winnow and ne’ma, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Food Loss and Waste initiative, announced the results of the ‘Green Breakfast’ pilot program, which saw a 62 percent reduction in pre-and post-consumer food waste across breakfast operations in 13 UAE-based hotels across a four-month period. As a company founded on the belief that hospitality has the power to be a force for good, Hilton is committed to reducing waste across our global operations by implementing a food waste reduction program in every kitchen and taking active steps globally and within the UAE to reduce food waste across its portfolio of brands.
Hilton announced the results of the Green Breakfast pilot at a showcase at Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre, joined by Emma Banks, vice president of F&B strategy and development, Hilton, and Jean Garris Hand, vice president of global ESG, Hilton, along with Hilton’s program partners. Guests enjoyed a sustainable breakfast showcase followed by an insightful panel session on the significance of food waste and the impactful results of the pilot with:
- Khuloud Al Nuwais, secretary general, ne’ma the National Food Loss and Waste initiative and chief of sustainability, Emirates Foundation,
- Marc Zornes, co-founder and CEO, Winnow and;
- Tarek Khoury, regional coordinator for climate change, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) – Regional Office for West Asia.
Building on the success of Hilton’s Green Ramadan campaign in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, the pilot project kicked off in August 2023 with the installation of production and plate waste systems across 13 participating hotels, where baseline data was recorded and updated through November 2023.
The pilot saw a 62 percent reduction in pre-and post-consumer food waste – which would equate to serving more than 400,000 meals and preventing almost 726 tonnes of Co2e emissions across a year. Pre-consumer waste was reduced by more than 76 percent, and post-consumer waste was reduced by 55 percent. Most wasted items at breakfast included bread and pastry, white eggs, porridge, congee, sambar, shakshuka and baked beans.
Commenting on the pilot project, Emma Banks, vice president, of F&B strategy & development at Hilton, said that the team was pleased to share the results of the initiative.
“Through this pilot project, we were able to learn and gather data on consumer behaviour so we can build awareness and take meaningful action scalable at hotels and across the industry. We hope this initiative will inspire the sector to source locally and reduce food waste.”
In order to ensure seamless implementation, Winnow equipped teams with Artificial Intelligence measurement tools and held weekly coaching sessions to impact behavioural change among participating hotel teams. Strategically placed behavioural nudges, designed by ne’ma, were also placed in the dining area, encouraging guests to make more sustainable decisions. By regular reporting, Hilton was able to identify waste trends, contribute to the national food loss and waste trial, and support food waste reduction targets in the UAE through ne’ma. Hilton remains committed to prioritising food waste reduction and will work towards the next phase of the pilot.
