There’s no one right way to move forward on sustainability commitments – but the six companies listed here have found that the best sustainability initiatives also achieve other business objectives. By investing in sustainable strategies for the management of food waste that lower operational costs, these companies demonstrate that sustainability can support the bottom line.
If you’re not sure where to start on your sustainability journey, explore how these major players in the hospitality, technology, and oil and gas sector are making strategic investments to divert food waste from landfills.
Carnival Corp.
The cruise industry’s vast, floating cities have a large footprint, but more cruise lines are committing to reducing the environmental impact of that presence. While the industry is subject to tough regulations on waste management, British-American cruise operator Carnival Corporation & plc is making it easier for its staff to responsibly manage food waste.
In 2022, Carnival completed the installation of nearly 600 food waste biodigesters across its fleet. This sealed equipment breaks down food waste using natural microorganisms, emitting water as a byproduct. As this natural decomposition process takes place, the equipment delivers data on the types of food most often wasted. With this data, Carnival is able to create strategies for reducing food waste per passenger that may include cost-effective adjustments to procurement. This work is helping propel Carnival closer to its goal of reducing unit food waste by 50% by 2030.
ExxonMobil
Oil and gas company ExxonMobil has pledged to increase energy supply even as it reduces emissions to achieve net zero by 2050. As part of its promise to operate responsibly, the company points out that its work in remote and sensitive environments have a unique impact on the environment. Among these remote operations are ExxonMobil PNG mining sites in the mountainous regions of Papua New Guinea.
These mining sites are home to campsites where all materials must be trucked in and all waste carted out – a costly, laborious process. So, when ExxonMobil PNG invested in onsite LFC-300 biodigesters in 2015, they gained a more sustainable and less labor-intensive solution for disposing of food waste. In peak months, the equipment is tasked with digesting 13,700 kg of food waste, waste that would otherwise have needed to be hauled and incinerated. In 2023, that amounted to a total of 92,500 kg of waste diverted from the landfill.
IKEA
IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people, a vision that goes well beyond providing well designed furniture at an affordable price. The multinational conglomerate has committed to tackling climate change through wide ranging initiatives that included a commitment to reduce food loss and waste in its iconic retail restaurants. This sustainable food waste management goal was achieved in only four years through a number of creative strategies.
At two of the largest IKEA stores in the United Arab Emirates – IKEA Jebel Ali and IKEA Yas Island Abu Dhabi – those waste reduction strategies included the installation of LFC-300 biodigesters that turn food waste in their market hall, bakery, café, restaurant, and food store into a grey water byproduct. With these installations, the two largest IKEA stores in the MEA region collectively diverted 66 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere within just two months of operation. Data collected by the biodigester also contributes to the company’s broader goal of providing food workers with deeper insight into what is being discarded in order to prevent future food waste in the kitchen.
IKEA’s range of efforts to become the first global company to halve food waste haven’t just been good for the environment. It’s also saved the company $37 million annually – savings that it can invest in developing new solutions to help its customers reduce their food waste.
Mandarin Oriental
Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Ltd. is focusing on the local implications of sustainability. The company has encouraged each of its 41 properties to create their own environmental initiative in order to reduce their impact on local communities. For Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, that focus is on sustainable sourcing and disposal of organic waste.
The luxury beachfront resort along the Arabian Gulf was one of Mandarin Oriental’s first properties in the Middle East. It also became the first site to adopt an LFC biodigester to responsibly dispose of food waste. In 2021, an LFC-300 biodigester was installed in the loading bay where garbage is managed onsite.
Not only did the new equipment reduce waste and maintenance labor – it also helped the hotel reduce costs. In 2022, Dubai implemented tipping charges, charging an additional Dh26 (AED) for every 1.1 cubic meter bin on top of previously paid charges. In 2023, the biodigester diverted 142,000 kg of food waste from local landfills.
Microsoft
Computer hardware and software have the potential to be big contributors to landfill waste and energy use. Yet technology leader Microsoft has been carbon neutral since 2012 and is now working to become carbon negative by 2030. By 2050, the company is aiming to remove from the environment all carbon emitted by Microsoft since it was founded in 1975.
Progress toward this aggressive climate goal has caused the technology giant to more closely examine its Scope 3 emissions – emissions generated from activities by assets that are not directly owned or managed by Microsoft. So as the company’s Dubai division began looking more closely at how to realize its zero waste principles, it determined it needed to invest in a sustainable food waste management solution that would not add to any emissions. The solution was the installation of the first solar-powered LFC biodigester.
The biodigester breaks down the food waste generated by Microsoft Dubai’s inhouse restaurants. The machine is able to digest 10 to 75 kg (45 to 165 lb) of food waste per day. In 2023 alone, this cost-effective solution diverted over 700 kg of food waste from local landfills.
Qatar Airways
When it comes to airline sustainability, the focus has primarily been on increasing fuel efficiency and reducing those emissions. But for Qatar Airways, sustainability has also meant eliminating food waste from the 200,000 airline meals produced by Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (QACC) every day.
Qatar Airways takes pride in preparing all meals in-house, a commitment that allows the airline to ensure that every meal meets the airline’s high expectations for taste, presentation, and safety. The airline deploys automation technology to speed the high-volume meal production. The natural next step was to adopt technology to reduce the waste generated during this production. Implementing two LFC-500 biodigesters to transform food scraps into water has enabled QACC to divert 16 tonne (35,000 lb) of waste a month, on average, from landfills. It also streamlined QACC’s operations, reducing labor requirements in the kitchen and freeing staff to tackle more valuable other tasks than hauling waste. These efficiencies have delivered notable cost savings.
How is your company making an impact?
Diverting food waste from landfills isn’t just good for the environment. It’s also a practical business move that can reduce labor costs. To get started on your own sustainability journey, explore resources to jumpstart your food waste management strategy, explore additional benefits of the LFC biodigesters, or find the right solution for your needs by contacting Power Knot today.