Tour operator easyJet Holidays have announced a hotel food waste reduction scheme that will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
In partnership with commercial food waste solution company Winnow, easyJet will be supporting hotel partners in reducing food waste and running more sustainable kitchens in those areas of the world that they offer package holidays too. And this will all be done by using AI, with a pilot programme launched in Spain, where the reduction of food waste at the four-star Bahia Principe Sunlight Costa Adeje resort will be monitored.
EasyJet undertook a landmark partnership with Oxford University to create the easyJet holidays Sustainable Tourism Programme (STP). It was launched to equip students with the transferrable skills needed to lead transformative change in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on Majorca and Tenerife.
Research and reports from the students found that food waste is a sustainability challenge, with 18 per cent of it in Tenerife generated by the hospitality sector. Winnow technology was identified as a solution for easyJet holidays’ hotel partners having no measure in place to prevent and reduce food waste, or accurately quantify the lack of food waste generated.
Using the same kind of technology you’d find in a driverless car, Winnow’s AI technology learns to ‘see’ the food being wasted. Using a connected terminal with a motion camera, data is collected quickly and stored in the cloud.
Teams then receive reports that pinpoint waste, giving them the insight to make operational improvements. Typically, kitchens using Winnow see food waste halved within 12-18 months cutting food purchasing costs by two to eight per cent.
Following the success and outcome of the first year of the STP, Oxford University students are continuing the work started to help make easyJet holidays an industry leader in sustainable tourism. They will work with a variety of stakeholders, from local businesses to government officials, NGOs and tourist boards to address challenges in specific Mediterranean tourism destinations, as well as working with governments and the United Nations to advance industry-wide progress.
Matt Callaghan, easyJet holidays’ Director of Customer & Operations, said: “We’re the first tour operator to be supporting hotel partners in tracking food waste and offering a real-world solution to a problem faced by our entire industry.
“The brilliant research and recommendations we received from the University of Oxford students has led to this scheme, so we’re really excited to be continuing the easyJet holidays STP to look at tackling some of the big sustainable tourism challenges.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
“We’re really excited to see what a positive impact a collaboration between a three-year-old holiday business, an 800-year-old academic institution and a revolutionary technology can have.”
Meanwhile, CEO and Co-Founder of Winnow, Marc Zornes, said: “Food waste is a massive contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and the hospitality sector needs to take action. At the same time with food inflation at record levels, there is a strong business case for hotels and resorts to tackle it.
“Winnow is delighted to partner with easyJet holidays to scale our impact together. “
The partnership comes as easyJet holidays was named as the recipient of the Sustainable Future Award at The Globes Travel Awards 2023. This award recognises the travel company leading the way in planning a sustainable future for its business and the wider industry.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
