In today’s business landscape, environmental sustainability is a key driver of long-term success. Every other month, the Salt Lake Chamber will feature a Utah business making a positive impact on the environment and our natural resources, inspiring innovation and support across the community.
Our feature, Grand America Hotels & Resorts, is a family-owned company that runs luxury hotels and resorts across the western United States. We spoke with Director of Purchasing and Receiving, Billy Boud, to learn more about their ongoing sustainability efforts.
Tell me more about your composting initiative.
Our team has always wanted to do the right thing. We create quite a bit of food waste and have always hoped for a positive alleviation. I personally love recycling efforts and enjoy suggesting them in our business where we can.
Elizabeth Barrett, an employee of Wasatch Resource Recovery, was previously on our Catering team and introduced me to the company. One of her family members was building the facility. We connected immediately and started working on how we could divert our food waste there instead of the landfill.
What inspired The Grand America Hotel to pursue large-scale food composting compared to traditional waste management methods?
We are one of the largest consumers of products in our region. We love the idea of leading by example and wanted to find a positive solution for our waste.
Food waste accounts for the largest share of our waste tonnage. Reducing it from our garbage has also improved our safety record — we’ve implemented a system that automatically lifts food waste into the dumpster, eliminating the need for employees to lift it manually.
How do you train and engage staff, especially in dining and banquet operations, to ensure consistent food waste sorting and recycling?
We created a custom system that allows employees to dispose of food waste from their plates in the employee dining area. We also have large food waste containers in both Banquets and Laurel to gather from the restaurant at the scrap stations before the dish machines.
To help engage, we like to share totals and volumes. It is a constant training opportunity with several departments. We have our stewarding department doing most of the transportation. We address contamination with the staff when needed and help train during line-ups.
What role does food recycling play in The Grand America’s broader sustainability goals and environmental strategy?
Food waste is the largest share of our recycling tonnage. Food recycling reduces the heaviest part of waste and turns it into energy and compost. I feel like it gives our property a strong foundation for future recycling
To read other sustainability stories, click here.
