How Marriott UK, Ireland & Nordics Cut Food Waste by 50% Across 53 Hotels

In just one year, 53 Marriott  hotels across the UK, Ireland, and the Nordics have cut food waste in half. It’s a landmark moment—not only for Marriott but for the entire hospitality sector. This achievement marks the first of its scale in the UK hospitality industry and shows that strong leadership, bold goals and empowered teams, can deliver extraordinary results—and fast.

Strong Leadership

In early 2024, Marriott launched a region-wide food waste initiative across its UK, Ireland, and Nordics portfolio. The target was bold—cut food waste by 50% by weight across all 53 managed hotels. But crucially, it was also strategic. Food waste was positioned as a core priority that aligned with Marriott’s wider ESG ambitions.

“Through determination and commitment to our common goal, I’m delighted to share that since the start of 2024, 53 Marriott International hotels in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics have successfully met targets to reduce food waste by 50%,” said Joanna Chugh, Regional Vice President, UK, Ireland & Nordics.

This brings Marriott in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 which calls for halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030—five years ahead of schedule.

Rapid Rollout

Marriott rolled out Winnow’s AI-powered food waste technology to all 53 hotels in under 2 months. The system uses computer vision to track what’s being thrown away and why—providing chefs and F&B teams with clear, real-time data. Using Winnow’s data each site was able to monitor its progress in real-time while monthly leaderboards sparked friendly competition, turning data into a powerful motivator.

“We used regular group calls and leaderboard reporting to empower teams with a shared sense of purpose. Each hotel could see where they stood and learn from others. This was key to fostering engagement across the region.”

Louisa Schultis-Furlan, Customer Executive, Winnow

Consistent Support, Shared Learning

 A central project team led by Sheena Williams, Senior Director Operations UKI and Nordics, Marriott International, ensured no hotel was left behind. With weekly check-ins, tailored support, and live benchmarking, teams across the region stayed aligned and engaged.

“The engagement of the team was always critical, and they were engaged right from the start, with their passion for food waste management evident. The sharing of best practice and advice was a critical component and we communicated with the hotels on a weekly basis,” said Sheena.

Empowered Kitchens

Marriott’s strategy empowered chefs to lead from the ground up. At London Heathrow Marriott, Executive Chef Anna Pazdera embedded daily Winnow reviews into the kitchen culture. Zero-waste creations included: Banana peel “pulled pork” burgers and Pineapple skin tea.

“Reducing food waste has been a priority for us for some time, so it’s been incredible to see the progress we’ve made to tackle this issue with the help of AI.”

– Anna Pazdera, Executive Chef, London Heathrow Marriott

At London Marriott Canary Wharf, Chef Sanjay Jadhav and his team achieved a 67% reduction in just six months. By redesigning the breakfast buffet and applying ingredient-level analysis, they found new value in the unexpected. Zero-waste highlights included: Shakshuka made from leftover poached eggs and vegetables and upcycled coffee grounds turned into scrubs for the spa

“It’s fun to come up with innovative dishes using ingredients that would typically go to waste.” 

-  Sanjay Jadhav, Executive Chef, London Marriott Canary Wharf

At Marriott Hotel County Hall, Chef Jamie Welch replaced buffets with à la carte service and added smaller portion options to cut food waste. His team got creative in the kitchen—turning carrot tops, cauliflower stalks, and leftover beans into dishes like pesto, kimchi, and bean burgers. These changes helped the hotel save £47,000 a year.

Looking Ahead

Marriott’s journey doesn’t end at 50%. The next phase focuses on deepening impact and sharing success more widely. Plans include expanding food donation partnerships with local charities, rolling out composting and recycling initiatives across more sites, and introducing QR-coded menus to engage guests with zero-waste recipes. 

A Blueprint for the Industry

Marriott’s approach offers a powerful model for large hotel portfolios worldwide. Their success shows that with bold leadership, clear targets, fast deployment, and kitchen-led creativity, sustainability at scale is not just possible—it’s already happening.

Cutting food waste isn’t only good for the planet. It’s a source of innovation, a driver of savings, and a point of pride for chefs and teams. With the right tools and trust, Marriott’s results show just how much is possible when sustainability is in the heart of operations.