Food waste is a major contributor to solid waste. In line with TUI’s sustainability agenda, our hotels are developing innovative solutions to minimise food waste.And even what’s left behind can be transformed into something useful. TUI BLUE Berawa in Bali is addressing this issue by trialling a project and investing in a food waste digester, providing an innovative solution to one of the hospitality industry's most pressing environmental challenges. The project demonstrates how high-temperature microbial technology can provide a quick, hygienic, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
From the buffet back to the garden
The machine can process up to 150 litres of pure organic waste per day. It requires a special bio-based component to facilitate the composting process. After around 7 hours, the waste is fully composted and dried into a powder, which is then collected and used to fertilise the gardens throughout the property. The hotel uses this compost in its gardens approximately every four months, creating a closed-loop system that significantly reduces waste disposal costs while improving the landscaping. The hotel also provides additional compost to support local institutions and schools, extending the environmental benefits beyond its own property.
If this pilot project is successful, it may encourage the municipality to promote this type of composting technology to other hotels in the region, which could transform waste management practices across Bali's hospitality sector.
Food waste at TUI
Across the TUI portfolio, reducing food waste reduction is a strategic priority. TUI aims to cut food waste by 25 percent by 2030, and many hotels are already advancing this goal with smart, data-driven solutions. Several TUI BLUE hotels, for example, use the AI-powered Kitro scale to analyse exactly what ends up in the bin, so they can produce less of that. With Kitro, the hotels have been able to identify from what to adjust production and even refine their menus, reducing food waste significantly.
Other TUI properties are exploring more creative ways to ensure that edible food is never discarded unnecessarily. At TUI BLUE Los Gigantes in Tenerife, Executive Chef David and his team make leftover buffet dishes available to employees after service — and safely store additional portions for the next day’s staff meals. “Hardly anything goes to waste,” David says, noting that this approach not only reduces environmental impact but also strengthens the sense of community in the hotel. Together with innovations such as the food waste digester piloted at TUI BLUE Berawa, these measures illustrate how TUI hotels are turning practical, everyday actions into meaningful sustainability progress.
Podcast on Food Waste:
What happens to the food left over at hotel buffets – and how is TUI cutting down on food waste? The TUI sustainability podcast visits hotels where AI helps to rescue food and discovers surprising ways to tackle food waste on holiday. Listen now on
Spotify,
Youtube or
Apple Podcasts.