Marriott Hotels is using AI to serve up some serious food waste reduction across its hotels.
As reported by National World, Marriott has reduced food waste across 53 of its hotels in the U.K., Ireland, and Nordic regions.
Through Winnow AI technology and The PLEDGE, a global food waste certification, Marriott has reduced food waste by 25% within the first six months of 2024. This initiative, implemented across Marriott's kitchens, helps track and minimize food waste in real time, allowing chefs and kitchen staff to make more informed choices on ordering, portioning, and menu planning.
The project is making significant improvements. Marriott reported cutting their waste by nearly 486 tons of pollution emissions, equivalent to the amount produced to charge over 32 million mobile phones.Â
Reducing food waste protects our planet in so many ways. Not only does it cut down on pollution from food production and transport, but it also conserves resources like water — 141 billion gallons saved in one recent study. Landfilled food waste produces methane, a gas with 80 times the warming impact of carbon dioxide over 20 years. Composting reduces methane and provides nutrient-rich soil, supporting sustainable farming.
That said, the talk of water savings in particular highlights a bit of a paradox with the advent of AI, in that the technology is so power-hungry and thus heat-generating that Google's data centers alone consumed about 5.6 billion gallons of water for cooling in 2023. Of course, this use by Marriott is a drop in a different bucket by comparison, but just 20-50 prompts require about a 16.9-ounce bottle's worth of water for cooling. That's not even to mention the energy usage, which often draws from polluting sources — and even creating just four AI-generated images consumes the power of an entire fully charged cellphone.
Uses of AI like this one surely do more good than harm, but every impressive feat of AI should still come with a reminder that it should be used responsibly on needs that justify its costs.
Executive Chef Anna Pazdera at Marriott Heathrow shared how AI insights have helped staff get creative with surplus ingredients — transforming items like banana peels into delicious vegetarian options. Hotels also engage guests by offering smaller portions and sharing zero-waste recipes via QR codes, further educating customers on sustainable dining.
Joanna Chugh, Marriott's Area VP, praised the collaborative effort, noting the role of over 3,000 employees in making this initiative a reality.
"We're incredibly proud," she said, emphasizing the strong commitment to sustainability that has also led to Marriott's Green Key certification — a dedication given to hospitality companies who are truly committed to sustainability — across the region.
David Jackson from Winnow celebrated the results, stating, "Marriott is setting a new standard for sustainability in the hospitality industry."
This initiative aligns with other impactful moves by companies aiming to reduce waste, like Albertson's and Trader Joe's food donation programs. By leading the way with smart, resource-efficient solutions, Marriott is not only reducing environmental impact but also creating a dining experience that's better for customers and the planet.
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