TUI Cruises publishes guidelines for reducing food waste on cruise ships

Reducing food waste on board the Mein Schiff fleet and providing a positive impetus for the industry: With this goal in mind, TUI Cruises launched a pilot project with United Against Waste e.V. in 2016 as part of its Futouris membership. The results are impressive: A total of 17 percent less food waste is now produced on board the Mein Schiff fleet every year. In the final report now published, which also serves as an industry guide, TUI Cruises and Futouris make the results of this project available to the cruise industry. TUI Cruises is thus once again underlining its pioneering role in the field of sustainability.

Measurement of food waste on Mein Schiff 4

TUI Cruises initially launched the project financed by the TUI Care Foundation on Mein Schiff 4. Together with the kitchen teams, the team from United Against Waste e.V. collected, weighed, measured and documented food waste in the areas of storage, production and buffets as well as leftover plates. The measurements were evaluated using a waste analysis tool developed by United Against Waste e.V. to identify potential ways to avoid food waste.

It quickly became clear that more than 50 percent of all food waste on board was generated in the area of overproduction. "This is a very typical figure for out-of-home catering. On board cruise ships, the conditions are even more difficult - such as even stricter hygiene regulations. At the same time, this figure can be significantly reduced with some very effective measures," says Torsten von Borstel, Managing Director of United Against Waste e.V.

Successful reduction in food waste

TUI Cruises has permanently implemented the top 3 measures on board, two of which were implemented in the Anckelmannsplatz buffet restaurant. A particularly nice side effect for guests: continuous opening hours in Anckelmannsplatz ensure that significantly less food has to be disposed of. "That sounds contradictory at first. But every time the buffet restaurant closed after a meal, all the food in the display had to be thrown away. Now we simply rebuild and the waste is significantly lower," explains von Borstel. A small trick with a big effect: smaller bowls and inserts in the dishes also ensure that less food has to be thrown away. "We were able to reduce food waste in the buffet restaurant by 20 percent without restricting the menu," says Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

Final report and guidelines

Even though the final report is now available, the project continues at TUI Cruises: regular training sessions are held to prepare kitchen crew and environmental officers to take measurements on board themselves. "The project is not yet over and never will be: Because our goal must always be to handle food responsibly and avoid unnecessary food waste," says Wybcke Meier.

To the guidelines and final report