Marriott Hotels in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics has announced the implementation of a food waste reduction initiative, which will see Winnow AI technology being used to monitor and minimise food waste in hotel kitchens across 53 managed hotels.
Through the work of the food-and-beverage teams, Marriott Hotels reduced food waste by 25% within the first six months of 2024, with the aim of advancing the company’s sustainability objectives and addressing the issue of food waste across the hospitality industry.
“We are incredibly proud of the tremendous effort and dedication of our teams in reducing food waste across our hotels,” said Joanna Chugh, area vice-president for the UK, Ireland and the Nordics for Marriott International.
“With over 3,000 team members – including culinary staff, kitchen stewards, and F&B services – working together, we have already achieved a 25% reduction in food waste within six months – the equivalent of 486 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, or charging over 32 million mobile phones.”
The PLEDGE
With the support of the PLEDGE, a global food waste certification, Marriott has become the first hotel group to deploy AI food waste technology on this scale in the UK by integrating the Winnow AI platform in all 53 of its hotel food outlets.
Marriott’s F&B teams now have access to real-time data on food consumption and waste, enabling responsible decisions around ordering, menu planning, and portion sizes.
The major hotel operator claims that the resource-efficient approach has allowed staff to significantly reduce food waste while maintaining high standards of guest service and satisfaction.
“We’re thrilled to see how Marriott’s teams have embraced our technology to achieve such impressive results,” said David Jackson, director of marketing and public affairs, Winnow.
“This partnership highlights how technology, combined with Marriott’s commitment and collective efforts, can lead the way [in] setting a new standard for the hospitality industry.”
‘Responsible Dining’
Marriott claims that the initiative extends to encouraging mindfulness around food consumption, with hotels offering guests smaller portion options and raising awareness of responsible dining, particularly at buffets.
Other hotels have introduced QR codes on menus, giving guests access to zero-waste recipe ideas and tips on reducing waste at home.
Additional partnerships with local food banks and organisations, such as Too Good to Go, are in place to redistribute surplus food, and unavoidable food waste is diverted towards composting or recycling.
“It’s been incredible to see the progress we’ve made to tackle this issue with the help of AI,” said Anna Pazdera, executive chef and sustainability champion at Marriott Heathrow.
“The insights we’re getting allow us to make immediate adjustments in the kitchen, which not only helps us reduce waste, but also gives us the opportunity to get creative with surplus ingredients, like turning banana peel into pulled pork for our signature vegetarian burgers.”
