What do we look forward to the most on holiday? Sunny skies or exploring the unknown? For many, it’s getting the chance to eat something different, and having an excuse to indulge.
As exciting as the prospect of seeing a lavish spread in your hotel restaurant is, it comes at a cost. Food waste generates around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the food service sector alone is responsible for around 290 million tonnes of food waste per year.
“Food waste is both an environmental and economic challenge that requires systemic change. The tourism sector has a critical role to play in driving solutions at scale,” says Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director, Industry and Economy Division at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
One hotel group committed to driving sustainable solutions is Six Senses. It recently joined Recipe of Change, a global initiative orchestrated by the UNEP and UN Tourism. The aim is to unite the tourism sector in a shared commitment to halve food waste by 2030.
Eat with Six Senses
Sustainability has been driven by collective action at Six Senses since its founding in the mid-1990s. The brand’s ethos and Eat With Six Senses philosophy, is practiced across all teams at its 27 properties globally. Together, they work directly with local environmental organisations. From chefs to gardeners, spa managers to housekeeping, beekeepers to botanists, everyone plays a part.
The brand’s guiding culinary philosophy is based on the principles of natural ingredients, local and sustainable, and less is more. The intention is to help guests reconnect with food in a healthy way. As a result, guests can enjoy their stay knowing that everything they eat and drink is as good for them as it is for the world around them.
Jeff Smith, VP of Sustainability at Six Senses, said, “Reducing food waste is a continuous loop that is lived, breathed, and constantly evolving within our hotels and resorts. It begins long before anything reaches the plate and is a true example of the relationship between sustainability and service.
“Over the past 30 years, we have built a clear understanding of what works in practice – from designing waste-conscious, plant-forward menus to the provenance of our produce, right through to returning nutrients to the soil which feeds us. The Recipe of Change with UNEP and UN Tourism initiative reflects the collective action needed to accelerate progress. We’re honoured to be part of it and look forward to continuing to learn from others too.”
Sustainable dining in practice
Here are some of the practical examples of sustainable dining across Six Senses properties around the world.
One step ahead
In the kitchens, production planning based on occupancy helps to improve daily waste management. Additionally, ongoing menu rationalisation rotates low-consumption items and immediate corrective actions happen in real time.
Smaller batch cooking methods and standardised portion sizes go further in helping to reduce plate waste. It’s so effective that the host canteens at Six Senses Vana have reported zero food waste.
From dining to decor
In Bali and Thailand, all parts of a homegrown pineapple are used, from juices at breakfast to crowning table decorations. The hotels here use turn sprouts from papaya, mango, and avocado seeds into living green decorations. Meanwhile, they mix leftover coffee grounds with cocopeat to make the dining tables themselves. Alternatively, they are returned to the soil as compost to support a diverse soil and gut microbiome.
At Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman, 80% of organic and glass waste is recycled or upcycled on-site. The hotel also transforms 84 kilograms of citrus peels per month into candied garnishes and welcome amenities.
Waste alchemy
At Six Senses London, a Fermentation Lab repurposes otherwise wasted kitchen leftovers into flavourful preserves and gut health heroes. It returns these to the menu in new guises as things like sauerkraut, kimchi, yoghurt, and kefir. The hotel additionally offers guests alchemy experiences, where its chefs share these fundamentals of fermentation.
Reimagining how food moves from soil to plate, local farmers pick to order for the kitchens at Six Senses Rome, delivering the same day in reusable plastic-free packaging.
Earth Labs
In 2017, Six Senses introduced Earth Labs within all its properties. The dedicated space encourages guests and hosts to engage with sustainability in a light-hearted and practical way. Using leftover organic ingredients and compost, they can create everything from lip balms to pickles.
Farm-to-table luxury
Six Senses farms bring an abundance of home-grown, seasonal produce to its hotel restaurants, often from within its own walls or neighbouring fields. As a result, the brand has also developed strong relationships with pioneers in regenerative agriculture and wellness experts.
Six Senses Zighy Bay operates an 18,000-acre (7,300-hectare) farm in nearby Dibba. Six Senses Ibiza’s local farm, Can Tanca, has become a thriving community. Maximising sustainable tech, the resort’s garden at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is situated beneath 800 solar panels. This Solar FreshCuts initiative and concept received the Global Low-Carbon Scenic Spot prize by the Global Forum on Human Settlements, an award supported by UNEP.
The farm on the Hill at Six Senses Samui was created to address a landscaping necessity. It used to generate a large volume of organic waste, unutilised greywater, and a lack of nutrient-rich soil. Now equipped with chickens, goats, and a greywater catchment system, the farm produces organic eggs, goat milk, and fresh vegetables.
Meanwhile at sea in the Maldives, a team of 10 marine biologists at Six Senses Laamu work with government and local fishermen to support sustainable fishing practices and eliminate unnecessary and unethical catch.
Scaling the impact
Beyond its properties, Six Senses works with local NGOs, schools, and hospitals to strengthen community services and improve access to essentials such as clean water and education. The group is an early signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, led by the UNEP and the UN Tourism. Six Senses also collaborates with the United States Coalition on Sustainability and SustainChain™.
Aggarwal-Khan added: “We welcome Six Senses’ commitment to joining Recipe of Change and advancing action to reduce food waste across the tourism sector. Through Recipe of Change, stakeholders are moving from commitments to implementation by measuring waste, applying practical solutions, and engaging consumers.”
Today, all 27 Six Senses hotels and resorts across 20 countries report environmental and social impacts within and beyond the property, with a focus on driving system change. This work has contributed to certification by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
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