6 weeks
During a 6 week period food waste is tackled in The Netherlands
15% less waste
The participating companies aim for a 15% reduction of food waste
Hotel School The Hague
Food waste 2020
6 weeks food waste challenge
During a 6 week period food waste is tackled in The Netherlands
15% less waste at breakfast buffet
The participating companies aim for a 15% reduction of food waste
Hotel School The Hague
Students are working together with hospitality professionals and give advice
Outlook for food waste in 2020
Food Waste Challenge at EVENT Hotels NL
Tackling food waste in The Netherlands
One third of food produced worldwide is wasted, either during production, during transport or during consumption. In developed countries about 100 kg of food is wasted per person per year. In The Netherlands alone, 51 Million kg of food is tossed each year. To tackle this huge amount of food waste many Dutch EVENT Hotels are participating in the National Food Waste Challenge initiated by Rabo Bank.

Food Waste Challenge accepted!
During a six-week period in October / November 2019 the participating Dutch EVENT Hotels are aiming at reducing their breakfast buffet waste by 15%. In the beginning of October, the Zero-Measurements took place with the assisting help of Hotel School The Hague students.
On Sunday, October 13th, EVENT Hotels NL finished the first week of measurements in their kitchens. On a daily basis each kitchen team measured how many kilograms of edible food from different residual flows was wasted:
1) during the mise en place in the kitchen
2) from the guests’ plates
3) from the buffet (after breakfast time)
At the moment, the kitchen teams collect and analyze the results of the Zero-Measurement Week. Simultaneously, they start brainstorming and looking for possible solutions to the food waste problem. Hotel School The Hague, which is also affiliated with the National Food Waste Challenge, sends students for exploring the issue together.
How to waste less food?
Chefs Meeting
Malou van der Burgt, Operations Coordinator at EVENT Hotels, has organized a successful chefs meeting for collecting all the feedback and ideas from all participating hotels. The team has discussed and determined the necessary adjustments to their breakfast concept in a concrete action plan in order to achieve the intended goal of 15% less waste in 6 weeks.
Follow Up Measurements
The adjustments determined during the chefs meeting will be executed accordingly and then a second measurement will take place in November to monitor the effects of the changes. After that week EVENT Hotels NL hope to see a positive effect and have reduced waste per location by 15%.
Waste even less
EVENT Hotels is aiming at continuing this project in 2020 and want to start focusing on lunch and dinner waste next.

Food Waste Challenge on Social Media
Being part of the Dutch EVENT Hotels Family, Bilderberg Hotels also participate in the National Food Waste Challenge. Curios? Click below to find out more!