Hilton’s Green Ramadan Initiative Hits 26% Reduction
Hilton announced the results of its Green Ramadan 2025 initiative, which achieved a 26% reduction in post-consumer plate waste during the holy month. This month-long effort helped prevent over 2.6 tonnes of food waste, equivalent to more than 6,000 meals. This initiative reinforces Hilton’s commitment to minimizing food waste across its hotels through consistent and measurable impact.
The program continued to build on the momentum established in previous years, marking its largest rollout to date. It was implemented across 45 hotels in 14 countries throughout EMEA and APAC, serving over 340,000 guests during iftar and suhoor, which are traditional meals observed during Ramadan.
Hotels in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Nigeria, and other locations have undergone extensive training aimed at addressing food waste throughout the food value chain. They focused on local sourcing, sustainable gastronomy, donating excess food, composting wherever possible, and implementing effective waste management practices. This included closely monitoring the food items most frequently left uneaten by guests, such as bread, pastries, vegetables, meat, and grains.
The campaign introduced several interventions to raise awareness about food waste and encourage better practices. These included guest messaging, smaller portion sizes, live cooking stations, visually appealing food displays, and the use of set menus. This educational and interactive approach successfully broke down barriers to understanding and reducing food waste.
Before launching this year’s initiative, hotel teams participated in instructional upskilling sessions and received a food waste prevention playbook that incorporated key insights from Green Ramadan 2024. These learnings significantly contributed to the success of the 2025 campaign, resulting in a reduction of plate waste from 102 grams to 64 grams per cover throughout the month. Additionally, the initiative prevented over 11 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to more than 720,000 smartphone charges.
The campaign was developed and delivered again in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) West Asia, as part of the impactful Recipe of Change initiative, along with Winnow—an AI-enabled food waste management solution. In 2025, the program saw even greater integration across hotel teams, with Green Ramadan emerging as a platform for locally led action, data-driven decision-making, and consistent team engagement throughout the month. From front-of-house to kitchen operations, team members across various departments collaborated to create more sustainable dining experiences and reduce avoidable waste.
Leave a comment