Alliance and Winnow partner to tackle food waste in hotels

by: Felicity Cousins | June 25, 2024

UK: AI-driven food waste solution, Winnow, has become a member of The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance).

Winnow has been widely adopted by brands such as Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Accor, Compass Group, ISS, and Iberostar.

Typically a commercial kitchen wastes 5-15 per cent of the food it buys.

Winnow’s technology uses AI to identify wasted food items in real-time. Its analytics tools then help teams pinpoint waste areas, giving them insights to make operational improvements and cut waste in half. 

A kitchen using Winnow would therefore expect to cut food purchasing costs by 2-8 per cent. Partners of Winnow are saving US$70 million in food costs each year and preventing 50 million meals from entering landfill.

Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance said: “Food waste is a major global issue for our industry. WWF estimates that up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to food loss and waste, with Winnow estimating that in excess of US$100bn worth of food is wasted each year in the hospitality sector alone.

“Having Winnow on board at the Alliance significantly strengthens our ability to tackle this major issue that will only become more problematic if not addressed now.”

Marc Zornes, CEO and co-founder of Winnow added: “Joining the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is a significant milestone for Winnow. 

“Together with the Alliance’s network, we can drive even greater change, helping the hospitality industry become more sustainable and resilient. We are excited to collaborate with like-minded leaders to build a future where food is valued and not wasted.”

The company recently secured series C funding, which will enable it to continue making its AI technology faster and smarter whilst expanding its global reach. It currently has operations in more than 80 countries over 2,700 locations.

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