Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2023

SUS TA INABIL I T Y SNAP SHOT

airports across North America, many of which have different standards for packaging, as well as downstreamwaste capabilities, and not all sustainable packaging can withstand the travel journey,” she says. “So, we always test new products—first internally and then with travelers—to ensure they performwell.” Both Friedel and Paradies Lagardère’s Guillaume note that it’s also very important to do thorough research to ensure the packaging is truly as sustainable as the company producing it claims. “Identifying truly 100 percent compostable and biodegradable products can be tricky at times,” Guillaume says. “Many products claiming to be compostable or recyclable may actually have a small percentage of material that does not biodegrade. We spend significant time researching and making inquiries to identify the best possible options. Diligence pays off in the end.” And then, of course, there’s supply and cost, both of which were exacerbated by the pandemic. “The pandemic caused a major increase in the demand for to-go packaging in general and that, coupled with a reduction in production all over the world and shipping disruptions, resulted in a major supply gap that can still be felt today, and costs have skyrocketed due to this lack of supply,” Tastes on the Fly’s Rosenbloom says. “We’ve navigated these issues well by using a wide variety of suppliers as well as staying dedicated to our commitment. Change doesn’t happen overnight, so we consistently seek out partners who share our values and are working toward viable solutions to provide food and beverages in sustainable ways.” Indeed, swapping out single-use plastics with eco-friendly options is far from a one-and-done operation, but with sustained commitment from all partners, it’s an initiative that makes a significant difference on the environment. “In a nutshell, our process surrounding sourcing our sustainable food packaging involves taking the time, bringing in all stakeholders, being clear with expectations, researching, communicating with team members and guests to raise awareness, measuring progress, and continually evaluating and adjusting as needed,” Friedel says. “This is a journey; we’re continually looking for opportunities to reduce and reuse to lessen impacts from single-use packaging.”

American water assortment will be 56 percent less reliant on virgin plastic using rPet, aluminum or glass containers, and we’re targeting 87 percent by 2025.” Paradies Lagardère’s parent company, Lagardère Travel Retail, is on target to reach its 2025 goal of having 100 percent of the 43 countries in its global organization successfully switching to responsible consumables, Guillaume adds. Delaware North ’s goal in the United States is to source 100 percent of its single use packaging products frommaterials that are recyclable, renewable, compostable or contain post-consumer content by 2025. In support of the company’s “Last Straw” campaign, which launched in 2019 and eliminated plastic straws, the company’s travel division also eliminated cocktail stirrers from all operations beginning in January 2023, with all Delaware North domestic airport locations now featuring Phade PHA-based straws.

Maintaining The Change Like many big changes, introducing sustainable packaging can pose certain challenges for operators. Finding ways to navigate these obstacles is key to assuring the change is a permanent one with real environmental impact. “Doing something outside of the normwill always come with challenges, but we believe it’s worth it to drive our sustainability goals forward,” says Debbie Friedel, director of sustainability for Delaware North . “While it’s important to consider sustainable material types for food packaging, we take a more holistic approach and consider the disposal of these items. Material composition for sustainable food packaging is different for each company, and waste management is different from one location to the next. Some waste haulers accept compostable and biodegradable materials, but not all items are able to be processed. Before buying products promoted as sustainable, it’s important to have a conversation with the waste hauler to understand these complexities so that the packaging may reach its appropriate and useful end of life.” Echoing this, HMSHost’s Fondersmith stresses the need to look for products that perform well in multiple waste-processing scenarios. “HMSHost operates in over 75

Below: Since Tastes on the Fly sells more water than any other product at its operations, the company offers reusable aluminum water bottles (pictured) in place of single-use plastic bottles and in addition to compostable takeaway packaging (pictured) and paper straws

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