A clear sign of climate care

Bad Arolsen, 18 April 2023 – A lot of effort for less waste: 18 H-Hotels.com operations have been recognised by external catering waste reduction advisors the KAHV for their successful reduction of food waste. The KAHV is coordinated and managed by United Against Waste e. V. (UAW). Jürgen Schmieder, Director of Food at H-Hotels GmbH, and Philipp Kempers, Cluster F&B Manager H4 and H2 Hotels München Messe, were presented with the certificates by Torsten von Borstel, UAW Managing Director. The hotel operations in question had been monitoring food waste from the beginning of 2022 until March 2023, successfully reducing it. Participating hotels such as the HYPERION Hotel Hamburg and H+ Hotel Limes Thermen Aalen produced almost 30 tonnes less waste in 2022, a 37 per cent reduction. This corresponds to savings of 101 tonnes of CO2 and 1.8 million litres of water. The KAHV, funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, verifies compliance with standards and the effectiveness of measures taken, evaluating them and issuing – on behalf of the ministry – the certificates that the 18 H-Hotels GmbH operations have now received. Further information is available from www.h-hotels.com.

‘As one of the largest hotel groups in Germany, we are keenly aware of our responsibilities around sustainability,’ says Thomas Haas, CEO of H-Hotels GmbH. ‘As part of rising to this challenge, the avoidance of food waste has been an important part of our corporate culture since 2016. Now our commitment and our pioneering role in the industry are being recognised. We are the first German hotel group ever to receive this award. This is a significant achievement. We hope that other companies will follow our example and that together we can work towards a more sustainable future.’

‘In 2023, we are broadening our commitment to waste prevention still more. Additional hotels within the H-Hotels Group will be taking waste measurements, evaluating the results and working out steps to reduce their food waste,’ adds Jürgen Schmieder, who as Director of Food is the coordinator for the issue of waste avoidance at the H-Hotels group.

As a member of United Against Waste e.V. (UAW), H-Hotels.com has been working to avoid food waste since 2016. In 2018, the company launched a pilot project with UAW, measuring food waste in four hotels initially and developing measures to reduce waste. Implementing these procedures resulted in food waste being reduced by up to 40 per cent. The following year, 20 H-Hotels participated in UAW workshops to produce a catalogue of measures raising awareness of the issue around breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets among staff and guests. The result was a 36 per cent reduction in waste. 

In parallel, H-Hotels.com has been participating in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s External Catering Forum since 2019. Here, a target was compiled for minimising food waste in the hotel industry. Participating hotels are required to meet certain specifications, including regular data collection, developing measures for process optimisation, documenting procedures implemented and conducting corresponding public relations work.