How Hotel Buffets Can Become Greener
How can large hotel chains, known for their endless buffet platters, standardised menus, and grandiose settings, truly reduce their carbon footprint? Managing food waste, offering plant-based food options, and tempering expectations of customers might be the key.
“If you walk into any hotel around the world, orange juice is served on every buffet, regardless of whether it’s in season or not. That really doesn’t make any sense anymore,” said John Timon, vice president sustainability and safety of AccorHotels, at the event "Make Change - Sustain a Meet" - A Path Towards Sustainability, held at Movenpick BDMS Wellness Resort in Bangkok on May 21.
Timon explained that hotels focus on food due to its pivotal role in enhancing the guest experience. “When you stay at a hotel, you might not remember the view, the shampoo, or the bed. But if you had a good meal, you’ll remember it,” he said.
Hotels, especially established chains, have the cultural and business capital to redirect customer expectations and consumption patterns. To reduce food waste, they can encourage the consumption of served food, and cultivate a culture where asking for the rest to-go isn’t perceived as a hassle or faux pas.
Promoting and serving in-season, plant-based, and local products as part of the hotel’s offerings can establish environmentally-minded consumption as the norm. With effective marketing of seasonally available juice, customers won’t be disappointed if their local hotel lacks out-of-season orange juice, or imported Aussie steak.
“As a proud Australian, I’d rather have a steak from Thailand or a great vegetarian dish, rather than continue to do more damage,” said Timon.
Food waste accounts for one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, equating to the same amount being discarded. To reduce food waste, hotels and restaurants in Thailand have partnered several initiatives: Scholars of Sustenance, which redirects unsold food to communities in need; Yindii, a delivery app offering customers discounted meals at the end of the day; and Klimato, a climate calculator providing carbon footprint data for menu items.
A vegan Buddha Bowl emits 0.24kg CO2e, while a brown rice dish with free-range chicken breast emits 1.53kg CO2e. The large steak that the customer ordered and only nibbled at? Well, it cost 15,000 litres of water to produce that beef, while the same weight of tomatoes only needed 287 litres.
Promoting plant-based food is exactly Janjaree Chianwichai’s mission as the programme manager of Southeast Asian food policy at Humane Society International. The Humane Society International is an animal welfare charity that recently opened its Thailand branch. Their food department focuses on training restaurants and hotels to prepare plant-based meals, convert meat-based recipes to vegan options, and effectively market them.

For Thais, vegan or jay food isn’t perceived as delicious yet. It’s not the job of the doctor, but the chef to change this perception. But nowadays, many restaurants are successful at this challenge, making delicious vegan dishes.
“We aim for menu items that are charming and enticing for customers to order. This includes properly naming and marketing the dishes,” said Janjaree.
Hoteliers have the responsibility to elevate the prestige of plant-based meals. In mainstream Thai culture, a tofu or even chicken-based dish does not yet carry the same sense of luxury. Rubel Miah, general manager of Movenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok said that while it was challenging to change perceptions, hotels could increase the value of plant-based dishes by hiring Michelin Star chefs to curate plant-based menus.
“It’s a tough job to persuade people that food which saves your life is the new luxury,” said Dr. Tanupol Virunhagarun, managing director and CEO of BDMS Wellness Group, who follows a vegan diet on weekdays. “For Thais, vegan or jay food isn’t perceived as delicious yet. It’s not the job of the doctor, but the chef to change this perception. But nowadays, many restaurants are successful at this challenge, making delicious vegan dishes.”
Dr. Tanupol highlighted the increasing prevalence of obesity in Thailand – the fastest-growing country in ASEAN in terms of weight gain. He emphasised that wholefood plant-based diets have proven to be beneficial for weight loss and improving overall health.
Meanwhile, the COP28 climate summit in 2023 underscored the urgency of addressing climate change, as it marked the warmest year on record with global temperatures rising 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels.
“This 1.4°C temperature change fundamentally alters the planet. As a hotel group, it also shifts what we do. Whatever we produce or ship, the impact of that is catastrophic,” said Timon.