Calvià Town Council held today the Sustainable Recipes Conference during the European Week for Waste Prevention 2024. This event seeks to position hospitality services in Calvià as pioneers in leadership in reducing food waste. The event took place throughout this morning and brought together several sustainability experts who presented their successful experiences to more than a hundred attendees, including numerous hotel workers and students from Kitchen Management, Kitchen and Gastronomy and Kitchen and Pastry from IES Calvià.
The event was opened by the mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, who highlighted the need for awareness and training of professionals in the hospitality sector, especially in large hotels and in buffet service.
One of the most notable topics has been the measurement and reduction of waste, that is, knowing the amount of food that is thrown away in order to improve and avoid waste. Jaume Ordinas, from Garden Hotels, spoke about this, demonstrating how sustainability can be effectively integrated into the hotel business model through a composting plant that feeds a garden and this, in turn, produces organic food. In addition, they are pioneers in the use of Artificial Intelligence programmes to systematize the calculation of the weight and categorization of food that is thrown away. Along the same lines, other circular economy strategies have been presented. Sandra Benbeniste, from Arabella Hospitality Spain, has presented the Vino Cercle project, focused on the production of compost from the waste generated.
The hotel sector, with its high consumption and generation of waste, faces the challenge of implementing sustainable practices that contribute to reducing its environmental impact and raising awareness amongst its customers, thus promoting greater environmental awareness. In this area, the Iberostar chain and its corporate chef, Miguel Millera, have put the focus on quantities, serving the buffet food on smaller plates so that less is wasted.
On her behalf, Xisca Sitjar Puigserver, from RIU Hotels & Resorts, has addressed the concept of Zero Food Waste, presenting various initiatives, focused on the training of the staff in the store and kitchen. On his behalf, chef José Cortés, gastronomic advisor at Finca Treurer, has reflected on the importance of local produce and ecological awareness in each dish.
Finally, the Head of the Food Safety Service of the Ministry of Health, Margalida Buades, has recalled the importance of guaranteeing the quality and safety of food while seeking to reduce waste, proposing some significant strategies.
The Sustainable Recipes Day is a firm step in promoting good practices within the hospitality sector, and reaffirms Calvià's commitment to sustainability.