Restaurateur HMSHost has received a sustainability award in recognition of its food donation program, which last year alone saw more than 800 tons of surplus food given to organizations and charities throughout the USA and Canada. The award was presented at this year’s Airports Going Green Conference, which is held at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands from October 31-November 2.
The donation program was conceived at Tampa International Airport in Florida when a group of HMSHost associates decided there were better alternatives when it came to disposing of fresh, high-quality, surplus food, which is commonplace in the restaurant industry. Today, the program has expanded to additional North American airports, as well as in HMSHost’s motorway operations, and includes both pre-packaged and freshly prepared foods.
With the food donation program, the communities where HMSHost operates benefit from a green perspective as tons of donated food is diverted from local landfills, easing the burdens of those municipalities by reducing their waste loads. Local communities also benefit as the quality surplus food is donated to local organizations that help feed those who might otherwise go hungry.
Jeff Yablun, chief operating officer, HMSHost, said, “Food donation has become one of the most significant green practices which HMSHost is proud to have incorporated into our daily operations and I applaud our associates who have made this Airports Going Green Award possible. This is a tremendous honor and we are thankful for the recognition of the positive impact that HMSHost’s food donation program has made not only to the industry’s sustainability efforts, but also in helping feed those in need.”