Hilton Green Breakfast records 62% reduction in food waste

Hilton, in collaboration with Winnow and ne’ma (UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste initiative) announced the results of the ‘Green Breakfast’ pilot programme which saw a 62% 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.

Commenting on the pilot project, Emma Banks, vice president, F&B strategy & development, EMEA, Hilton said, “We are pleased to share the results of the industry’s first Green Breakfast 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.”

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 in the UAE, where baseline data was recorded and updated through November 2023. Pre-consumer waste was reduced by more than 76%, and post-consumer waste was reduced by 55%. Most wasted items at breakfast included bread and pastry, white eggs, porridge, congee, sambar, shakshuka and baked beans.

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.