Tourism unites on International Zero Waste Day to launch the global initiative “Recipe of Change”

On the occasion of International Zero Waste Day, leaders from the global tourism sector met to officially launch “Recipe of Change”, an initiative that aims to address one of the world’s biggest sustainability challenges: food waste.

The program, developed by the United Nations Environment Programme in partnership with UN Tourism, has already garnered the support of major industry players who, collectively, serve more than 600 million guests annually and generate revenues exceeding USD 56.5 billion. This reach enables the sector to be mobilized on a large scale to prevent waste, influence consumer behavior, and promote more responsible practices.

As part of the event, a global roundtable was held focusing on accelerating the reduction of food waste in tourism. In addition to addressing environmental challenges, the meeting highlighted concrete benefits for businesses, such as cost reduction, greater resilience to supply chain disruptions, and a direct contribution to food security.

Through “Recipe of Change”, participants commit to measuring waste in their operations and implementing both operational and behavioral solutions, in line with target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to halve food waste by 2030.

In this context, Shaikha Al Nuwais emphasized the urgency of action: “2.3 billion people face food insecurity every day. While a third of the world’s population lacks access to this basic right and food waste generates up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, we must act decisively. ‘Recipe of Change’ seeks precisely that: for tourism to drive solutions towards more sustainable consumption.”

Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, for her part, emphasized the sector's strategic role: “Tourism companies are uniquely positioned to redesign menus, foster lasting behavioral changes, and achieve measurable reductions in food waste. We invite more companies to join us and accelerate progress toward this global goal.”

Leading companies commit to the initiative

Among the companies that are already part of “Recipe of Change” are Accor, Hilton, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Meliá Hotels International, Radisson Hotel Group, TUI Group and Club Med, among other relevant players in the global tourism ecosystem.

The private sector's commitment is based on previous successful experiences, such as the "Green Ramadan" campaign promoted by Hilton together with Winnow, which managed to reduce food waste by more than 60% in its first tests in 2023 and between 20% and 30% in later editions, expanding from 3 to 64 hotels by 2026.

Looking ahead, UN Tourism and the United Nations Environment Programme are inviting more companies in the sector to join this global initiative, with the aim of halving food waste and moving towards a more sustainable tourism model.

Source: UN Tourism