Published 2 years ago.
About a 4 minute read.
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Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International collaborated with WWF and Greenview on the industry-wide waste-measurement methodology.
Food waste is a global crisis crippling our systems and contributing to negative
environmental outcomes. While the hotel industry has made great strides to
prevent and divert food waste and donate quality items, when possible,
industry-wide waste reduction presents challenges without a standard measurement
methodology in place. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and global sustainability
consulting group Greenview have developed a
first-of-its-kind methodology to help hotels solve this problem.
The Hotel Waste Measurement
— developed in collaboration with hospitality giants including Accor,
Hilton, Hyatt, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International
— is designed to provide a common approach for the hotel industry to collect
data, and measure and report waste. This methodology creates a consistent way
for both chains and individual properties to set meaningful goals to reduce
keep it out of landfills, and track progress against those goals over time.
Building on robust existing strategies to track waste and set targets, this work
harmonizes methods of data collection and addresses common data gaps and
“Food waste presents major environmental and economic challenges across our
global food systems, but it’s one challenge that can actually be solved – and
sooner than you might think,” said Pete Pearson, global food loss and waste
lead at WWF. “The hotel industry has the unique ability to implement changes
that will have global impacts when it comes to managing food waste, and all
waste. This new methodology has the potential to be an industry game-changer —
putting the power of prevention in the hands of hotels while creating a common
industry-wide method to revolutionize the way we manage and measure waste.”
WWF developed the methodology — which builds on its longstanding work with
The Rockefeller Foundation and the American Hotel and Lodging
to tackle the industry-wide issue — with a priority to address the challenge
posed by managing food waste in diverse hotel
and the significant opportunity this offers to increase business efficiency and
make progress against social and environmental goals. In the US alone, nearly 40
percent of food waste is generated from consumer-facing businesses including
and hotels. WWF views the hotel industry as an important partner in helping to
achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
which aims to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030; and 12.5, which calls
for substantial reductions in overall waste generation through prevention,
reduction, recycling, and reuse.
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The methodology was reviewed by a wide range of industry stakeholders —
including WRAP, one of WWF’s strategic food loss and
waste partners; and hospitality giants Caesars
Dorint Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Radisson
Hotel Group, Soneva, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts — to ensure it
addresses the specific challenges faced by hotel companies large and small, and
from different parts of the world. The common waste metrics and definitions will
ensure that all those who follow the methodology will calculate, identify and
fill gaps, and report their waste data in a comparable way.
Corporate participation has played an essential role in advancing the UN SDGs.
As a truly global sector, the hotel industry is well-positioned to set
sustainability targets that align with these goals but, until now, without a
uniform methodology measurement system in place, hotels, especially larger
multi-national brands have faced challenges. When scaled, the methodology will
help develop a framework to support industry-wide benchmarking of waste.
The Hotel Waste Measurement Methodology is a valuable addition to an expanding
suite of industry measurement methodologies — including the Hotel Carbon
(HCMI) and Hotel Water Measurement
(HWMI) tools — and lays important groundwork for an industry culture focused on
improving operations and producing less waste. This uniform measurement and
reporting will inform strategic action to increase profitability and efficiency
while contributing to key environmental and social goals.
The development of the methodology has brought together the hotel industry
around one common goal and demonstrates the enormous potential of collaborative
“A crucial part of any sustainability strategy is to understand your impact and
monitor and report your journey towards improvement,” says Madhu Rajesh, CEO
of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. “The Hotel Waste Measurement
Methodology is a valuable addition to an expanding suite of industry measurement
methodologies including our HCMI and HWMI. By coming together as an industry,
and sharing expertise, we can develop resources that are designed for the
industry context, and support every hotel to manage and improve their impact —
wherever they are on their sustainability journey.”
To learn more about the Hotel Waste Measurement Methodology visit
Published Sep 3, 2021 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST