Emaar Hospitality Group to cut food waste by half this year using advanced data analytics 

Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality, and leisure business of Emaar Properties PJSC announced its partnership with leading tech-firm Winnow, for a path-breaking initiative to reduce food waste across its hotels. Leveraging advanced data analytics, the new initiative is being rolled out in 12 hotels under Emaar Hospitality Group this year, which will help cut food waste by half.

Food waste is a global problem with one-third of all food grown never being eaten – the equivalent of over 1.3 billion tonnes, according to the Food & Agricultural Organisation. While it poses a significant environmental problem, food waste is also a significant economic challenge. In the UAE, food wastage costs the national economy around AED 13 billion annually.

Winnow develops digital tools to help chefs run more profitable kitchens by cutting food waste in half. The system comprises a digital scale and a connected tablet. The weight is recorded automatically and the user selects the reason and identifies the item/dish using the tablet.

Winnow’s daily reporting then gives chefs total control over their kitchen by pinpointing which items are being wasted. Kitchens using Winnow typically see their food costs reduced by 3 to 8 per cent while doing the right thing for the environment. 

In the hospitality sector, 70 per cent of food wasted occurs before it gets to the customer, as per as study by Winnow. This is because historically chefs have not been given the latest tools to understand where over-production occurs. Emaar Hospitality Group’s hotels under the premium luxury Address Hotels + Resorts, the upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts, and the contemporary midscale Rove Hotels will be equipped with Winnow’s smart scales to help chefs quickly and accurately track food waste. 

The initiative follows Emaar Hospitality Group’s public pledge to help save one million meals in the UAE in 2018. The pledge was signed at an Iftar hosted by Dr.Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change & Environment (MOCCAE). Held at Address Boulevard, the MOCCAE reaffirmed its commitment to halve per capita food waste by 2030 and called on the hospitality sector to help save one million meals from the bin. The target will then increase to two million in 2019 and three million in 2020.

Marc Zornes, Winnow CEO & co-founder, said: “Emaar Hospitality Group have taken a leadership position by rolling out Winnow across their hotels. In partnership with the MOCCAE and the wider hospitality sector, there is a real opportunity for the UAE to become trail-blazers in the global fight against food waste.”

Olivier Harnisch, CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Our partnership with MOCCAE underlines our social responsibility commitment to support the UAE’s green vision as well as to drive the nation’s goal to be at the forefront in cutting food waste. Digital innovation is central to our strategy and partnering with innovators such as Winnow will help us drive commercial efficiencies while also doing the right thing for the planet.”