With the aim of bringing innovation and efficiency to sustainable practices, Accor is adopting technological solutions to measure and control food waste generated in its hotels with the aim of minimizing it.
To accurately quantify food waste and meet globally shared standards, each unit in the network is encouraged to measure its waste using AI-powered sustainability management software. This technology makes it easier for hotels to measure and monitor their energy, water and carbon footprint performance, so they can track the impacts of their sustainability initiatives. Currently, 99% of hotels in the Americas region already use the tool integrated into their operations and 37% measure food waste using the tool.
Another example is the use of Bioconverter technology to process 100% of organic waste generated by hotels, eliminating the need to send it to landfills or compost it. With the partnership, nine hotels in the chain in Brazil reduced the disposal of around 167 tons of organic waste, eliminating emissions equivalent to approximately 265 tons of CO², from January to September 2024. The Bioconverter uses mechanical processes combined with microorganisms that accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, transforming waste into nutrient-rich effluents that can be safely disposed of. In addition to reducing the volume of waste, the system reduces carbon emissions, generating operational and sustainability reports in real time, making it easier to monitor and optimize processes.
Creativity and sustainability
Measuring is an important step in quantifying organic waste, but it is also essential to exercise creativity to propose innovations that impact waste reduction. In this sense, the ibis budget São Paulo Paraíso hotel was a pioneer in launching a menu made with reused ingredients. There are nine dish options, including starters, main courses and desserts, all prepared with elements that would normally be wasted, such as peels and stems, resulting in nutritious and tasty dishes for both guests and visitors, who can purchase affordable meals for consumption on site or to take away.
ibis Styles San Isidro in Peru also implemented a similar initiative with the launch of four dishes made from ingredients such as garlic, onion and tomato peels, broccoli stems, celery leaves, lemon peels, coffee grounds, among others.
Another example of an innovative project is the welcome kits for guests made from coffee waste at the Pullman Rosario City Center hotel in Argentina. The hotel team identified that one cup of coffee generates 21g of waste, resulting in the generation of over 90 tons of coffee waste per year at the hotel. And as a creative solution to dispose of this waste responsibly, the hotel created the initiative of producing sculptures made from coffee to provide guests with a completely unique and personalized welcome kit.
Responsible food disposal
Accor has partnered with startup Food to Save to transfer surplus food from hotels at reduced prices. Through an app, Food to Save sells bags of surplus food at a 70% discount, encouraging conscious consumption and helping to reduce food waste. From January to September 2024, we managed to avoid the waste of more than 6,000 food kits that would have previously been thrown away in our hotels, eliminating emissions equivalent to more than 15 tons of CO² into the environment.
In Chile, the network also has a partnership with Good Meal to transport surplus food from the country's units. The sale of products is carried out through the startup's platform within a radius of up to 5 km to minimise carbon emissions related to transport. To date, around 900 kits have been rescued, avoiding the waste of more than 2 tons of food that would have been thrown away, equivalent to a reduction in emissions of 5.7 tons of CO².
The Group also supports the Comida Invisível [Invisible Food] project in Brazil, to donate surplus food from hotels to communities in need. In 2024, another 180,000 plates of food were donated to around 10 institutions in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Recife, reducing emissions by 31 tonnes of CO².
Antonietta Varlese, SVP Sustainability and Communications for Accor Americas in the Premium, Midscale & Economy Division, comments on the Group’s commitment to reducing food waste. “At Accor, we believe that innovation and technology are essential to achieving our sustainability goals, especially in reducing food waste. We are committed to implementing solutions that not only minimize the environmental impact of our operations, but also inspire our employees and guests to adopt more conscious habits. Our goal is to reduce food waste in our hotels in the Americas by 60% by 2030, and technology has been a great ally in this journey, allowing us to measure, monitor and act efficiently.”
With these initiatives, Accor is moving towards achieving its ambition of carbon neutrality by 2050, integrating sustainable practices and raising awareness among its teams and customers about the importance of combating food waste.
Source: ACCOR.