Hotel takes pledge to reduce waste

[webfact]

Hotel takes pledge to reduce waste

By Patcharee Luenguthai 

 

The Sampran Riverside Hotel has achieved foodwaste reduction by about 20 kilograms per day, food cost reduction by 3 percentage points, and a 12 per cent reduction in food cost per cover.

 

Sampran Riverside sets a new benchmark on sustainability

The Sampran Riverside hotel in Nakhon Pathom has become the first organisation in Thailand to comply with the foodwaste prevention standard, “the pledge on food waste. 

 

Arrut Navaraj, managing director of Sampran Riverside, said the hotel started cooperating with LightBlue Environmental Consulting, an expert on hotel food waste prevention programmes, in November last year. The hotel is now reaping substantial benefits in terms of financial gains and employee engagement, Arrut said.

 

The “pledge on food waste” is a monitoring programme aligned with the United Nations’ Food Loss and Waste Draft Standard and endorsed by groups including the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

 

The Sampran has achieved foodwaste reduction by about 20 kilograms per day, food cost reduction by 3 percentage points, and a 12 per cent reduction in food cost per cover. Eventually, the hotel could save up to Bt2 million a year.

 

It could also soon recycle 100 per cent of its food waste, helping to reduce carbon emissions. All the food waste – including vegetables, fruit and meat – would be used as fertiliser for the hotel’s gardens, while used vegetable oil would be recycled as biodiesel for the hotel’s visitor tram.

 

“The challenge at the start of the implementation is to change the mindset of the staff. Though they don’t have to work extra time, they must change their thinking and working process. Taking notes, for instance, is a key to succeed because we need to have a daily report on the quantity of supply and waste through every stage,” said Arrut.

 

He pointed out that there are four types of food waste: cold storage, freshcut fruit and vegetables, guest dishes and buffet line. It was found that the majority of food waste came from guest dishes, representing as much as 60 per cent, followed by buffet line (30 per cent), and fruit and vegetables. 

 

Arrut said the hotel had been successful in engaging employees in terms of cooperation and awareness of foodwaste prevention. 

 

In the next step, the hotel would create a series of campaigns to encourage guests’ awareness in the restaurants and meeting rooms. 

 

Located on a 70-acre (28-hectare) plot along the Thai Chin River, Sampran Riverside is a family-run eco- cultural destination known for its sustainability initiatives. 

 

Eight years ago, Arrut created “the Sampran model” to educate farmers in Sampran district about organic farming.  Currently, the hotel buys about 70 per cent of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and herbs from local farmers, with 10 per cent coming from its own farm. 

Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, president of the TCEB, said that the bureau had granted a subsidy of Bt400,000 to Sampran Riverside’s foodwaste prevention programme. 

 

Chiruit said this is a global trend and the practice would lead to long-term sustainability and credibility. The TCEB’s newly established innovation and intelligence department has drawn up many projects to push Thailand’s leadership in sustainability, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30333092

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-04

[Dave67]

1 in a Million literally 

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, Dave67 said:

1 in a Million literally 

Very true Dave.

We can only hope that the publicity might act as a catalyst encouraging others to think about this, especially when they realise it can also mean financial savings per organisation too.

[Dave67]

10 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Very true Dave.

We can only hope that the publicity might act as a catalyst encouraging others to think about this, especially when they realise it can also mean financial savings per organisation too.

Yeah it could catch on with bigger Hotels they would be able to pay up for a consultant, makes good business sense 

[BangkokReady]

I'm pleasantly surprised that there is an actual environmental consultant agency in Thailand. They even have their own email address (while government agencies seem to use Gmail).

[djayz]

In my early 20s I worked for a large chain hotel in Germany. The amount of food thrown away every day was simply mind boggling not to mention disgraceful! 

 

I think this kind of initiative is a great idea and a step in the right direction. As usual, training and motivating staff and guests will be the biggest hurdle, but it's possible.

 

 

[natway09]

It is not so hard when you have 70 Rai of land.

Whatever happened to the "pig man" who used to take all food scraps & fruit & vege peelings away from

hotels every day ?   (He also paid for the staff Christmas party)

The advent of the buffet has a lot to do with high wastage as some  people (including many Chinese)

Mouths are bigger than their stomach leaving huge amounts on their plate.

If anybody wishes to dispute this come with me tomorrow morning to a  breakfast buffet at a 4 star 

hotel next door to me & see them overloading their plates.

Maybe we need to go back  to serving meals from the kitchen so the Chef can control food.

Might help with obesity as well

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“The challenge at the start of the implementation is to change the mindset of the staff. Though they don’t have to work extra time, they must change their thinking and working process.

Would such change be motivated by staff sharing in the rewards that result from success - more time off, cash awards, pay raises, improved benefits? Or just told YOU MUST CHANGE?

This doesn't seem part of the LightBlue Environmental Consulting agenda that seems more technically-based. If so, personal motivation must come from the hotel management for overall success.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Arrut said the hotel had been successful in engaging employees in terms of cooperation and awareness of foodwaste prevention. 

I think that success has been more in the identification and quantification of foodwaste. But not yet in actual foodwaste prevention. Time will tell.

[coulson]

3 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

I'm pleasantly surprised that there is an actual environmental consultant agency in Thailand. They even have their own email address (while government agencies seem to use Gmail).

You mean to say an environmental consultancy that has any clients.

 

Sustainability has a huge potential for massive development in Thailand, just very little interest.

 

It needs a push from the top down. A recent initiative had supposedly been set up to help finance small businesses that produced goods from recycled content. Asked the missus to research it, doesn't exist!