Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2023

SUS TA INABIL I T Y SNAP SHOT

director of sustainability. “Our formal plan, which was approved in July 2022, includes plates, bowls, cups, lids, takeout containers, straws and cutlery,” she says. “At the end of 2022, HMSHost had converted 43 percent of single-use customer packaging to sustainable alternatives, so we are well on our way to accomplishing our goal.” In January 2023, HMSHost introduced Biolo biodegradable straws—which are made from a renewable plant-based plastic alternative known as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)—in numerous airport dining venues across the country. In April, to mark Earth Day, the company relaunched its #SkipTheStraw marketing and social media campaign to educate customers on why the company discourages use of plastic straws, and the powerful impact the action has on the environment. SSP America has transitioned to a container called OneBox for its to-go orders. “We’re looking at every opportunity to move our business to more sustainable products,” says Bob Como, vice president of procurement. The OneBox change “removes single-use plastics from the operation and elevates the guest experience from a culinary standpoint—our culinary team loves the box because it presents the food items effectively. This one change allowed us to pull over 2,400 foam and plastic containers out of the environment.” Como says that the company is also rolling out compostable cutlery, which will eliminate polypropylene and polystyrene cutlery. “When we’re done with this project we will have eliminated 3.4 million pieces of polypropylene and polystyrene cutlery

“Food waste and paper products are the largest contributors to the landfill system in restaurant environments, but technological advances are quickly changing that story,” he adds. “We must prioritize our investments to the programs with the largest impact and partner with our airports to increase the collective impact even further.” Making The Switch Tastes on the Fly has been using compostable to-go serveware and providing paper straws upon request only for many years, notes Amanda Rosenbloom vice president of procurement. “Additionally, since we sell more water than any other product, we offer reusable aluminum water bottles to help solve the issue of one-time use, and we use recycled paper to-go bags and sell reusable tote bags in our retail spaces,” she says. “Our airport partners have played a large part in supporting our efforts by supplying the appropriate trash cans and outlining proper guidelines.” Rosenbloom adds that Tastes on the Fly was the first in San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to become Gold LEED certified, prior to any requirements, and the company has been certified as a green business by both San Mateo County and San Francisco and received an accreditation from Green Denver for its Denver International Airport (DEN) locations. HMSHost has committed to moving to sustainable single-use customer packaging by 2025 in all its proprietary concepts, according to Ann Fondersmith, senior

Above Left: SSP America has transitioned to a kraft paper box called OneBox for its to-go containers, a change that removes single-use plastics from the company’s operations. Above: Restaurant operators across the country have been moving away from plastic straws for many years now, instead offering sustainable alternatives such a paper straws (pictured) only when requested.

from the environment,” he says, noting that the company is looking at ways to remove more plastic like plastic bags and single-use condiment packets. He adds that Canada has introduced an initiative to remove harmful plastics like polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and black plastic from the supply chain in 2024, and SSP America is on track for compliance by June 1 of this year. Paradies Lagardère has eliminated plastic straws in favor of paper options in all its dining locations, which also offer napkins and paper towel products made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled content and biodegradable, compostable packaging and bags for takeaway meals. “Another focus area is reducing the percentage of virgin plastic from our beverage offerings— in certain airport operations, we’ve already replaced all plastic bottles from our beverage assortment with alternatives like aluminum cans, glass and paper,” Guillaume says. “By the end of 2023 we anticipate our North

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