Austria
Reducing food waste on board the Mein Schiff fleet and providing positive momentum for the sector: This is the goal of the pilot project launched by TUI Cruises in cooperation with United Against Waste e.V. in the framework of its Futouris membership in 2016. The project has created impressive results: Food waste generated on board the Mein Schiff fleet has been cut by a total of 17 per cent per annum. TUI Cruises and Futouris have now published their final report, which also serves as an implementation guide for the sector, presenting the results of this project and sharing them with the cruise industry. TUI Cruises has thus again demonstrated its role as a sustainability pioneer.
TUI Cruises initially started the project, funded by TUI Care Foundation, on board Mein Schiff 4. The kitchen teams and the team from United Against Waste e.V. collected, weighed, measured and documented food waste in the areas of food storage, production waste, buffet overproduction, and plate leftovers. Using a food waste analysis tool developed by United Against Waste e.V., the measurements were evaluated to identify the potential for preventing food waste. It rapidly became clear: More than 50 per cent of all food waste on board results from overproduction. “This value is typical of ‘out-of-home catering’. The conditions for service at sea are even more difficult – for instance due to even stricter hygiene standards. At the same time, this value can be significantly reduced through a number of very effective measures,” explains Torsten von Borstel, Director of United Against Waste e.V.
TUI Cruises has permanently implemented the Top 3 measures on board. Two of the measures have been implemented in the ship’s buffet restaurant Anckelmannsplatz. A particularly positive side effect for the passengers: The Anckelmannsplatz buffet restaurant now offers continuous opening hours between breakfast and dinner, resulting in a considerable reduction in food waste. “This may sound contradictory at first. However, each time the buffet restaurant closed after a meal, all food still on display had to be disposed of. Now, smooth overlaps take place between the individual meals, so that considerably less food has to be thrown away,” explains von Borstel. A little trick with a big effect: Smaller bowls, buffet inserts and food containers contribute to reducing the amount of food disposed of. “In the buffet restaurant, we have reduced food waste by 20 per cent without limiting the variety of choice,” says Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.
Although the final report has now been submitted, TUI Cruises will continue the project: The kitchen crew and environmental officers take part in regular training sessions preparing them for implementing measurements on board. “The project has not yet ended, and will never end: After all, our goal will always be to ensure a responsible use of food resources and prevent unnecessary food waste”, says Wybcke Meier.
The final report is also available for download at:
