Food to fertilizer in 10hrs!

Piloting a machine that turns food waste into 93% organic fertiliser in 10hrs.

Abu Dhabi, UAE. April, 2013

The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa is piloting a state of the art machine that turns food waste into a highly nutritious fertiliser in a one-time cycle of just 10hrs. The Korean developed machine, which is now in operation, reduces the food waste from the hotel to a dry, high grade fertiliser which is approximately 1/3^rd of its original weight and results confirm that it is 93% organic matter. This material is then used across the resort to feed bedding plants, grass areas, trees, herbs and vegetable gardens.

Staff are trained to separate all food waste from general waste resulting in the collection of approximately 225Kg of food waste from the 6 restaurants and staff cafeteria across the hotel. Per month, the waste is reduced down to (depending on occupancy) approximately 1.5tons of fertilizer, approximately 30% of the original weight. This is not only a significant reduction in weight, but also carbon footprint associated with transportation of waste materials off site, and a cost of thousands of Dirhams in waste management fees as the waste is now processed on site.

What this means for the hotel is that on a daily basis not only is The Westin Abu Dhabi reducing the current outgoing waste by 1.1 cubic meter per day but it is transformed into a quality fertilising product that can be used across the resort. The hotel is in the process of building a herb garden which will also use the fertiliser. The garden will grow:

·         Red Chilies

·         Onion

·         Mint

·         Coriander

·         Basil

·         Lemon grass

·         Soya

Running at full capacity the machine can take 600kg of food waste in one cycle. The 10hr cycle will then reduce this waste product into approximately 175kg of fertiliser by rendering the moisture using heat. The machine does not use any chemicals or degrading agents during the cycle, only heat is applied. A sample of the fertiliser was sent to the Ministry of Environment & Water located in Al Ain and the results came back indicating that it was a very nutrient rich fertiliser comprised of 93% organic matter. An organic soil conditioning agent was then added to the end product balancing the sodium levels which then make this a commercially high grade fertiliser ideal for plant growth.

This is currently the only fertiliser machine of this scale and quality in operation in Abu Dhabi, and the only machine in any Starwood EAME property. Rainer Wiegand, Area Director of Operational Innovation says "Starwood is committed to sustainability. By 2020, Starwood Hotels & Resorts aim to reduce energy consumption by 30% and water consumption by 20% across the 1100+ luxury hotels worldwide. We have clear goals to achieve, and these innovations are allowing us to become greener in our operations and contribute back to our communities." There are hopes to roll this project out to the other 6 Starwood properties in Abu Dhabi turning this into an area initiative. The fertiliser that is produced will be used to fertilise the garden areas of all the properties and long term possibly supplied to the farms in the UAE to grow local produce which will then in turn be fed back into the properties.

The man who pioneered this project, Sebastien Weyer, Director of Engineering at The Westin Abu Dhabi, comments "The Westin Brand has a passion for environmental practice and this is the next step for the hotel in our drive towards sustainability. Since we have been in operation we strive to incorporate environmentally friendly initiatives into our work wherever possible and this machine is testament to our efforts. This machine not only turns waste into a useful product but it could hopefully provide a platform to collaborate with our sister properties in Abu Dhabi and also local farmers in the UAE."

-Ends-

About Westin Hotels & Resorts
Westin Hotels & Resorts makes the healthiest choices irresistibly appealing, so guests leave feeling better than when they arrived.  With more than 180 hotels and resorts in over 36 countries and territories, Westin is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood Hotels is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,071 properties in 100 countries and territories with approximately 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis^®, The Luxury Collection^®, W^®, Westin^®, Le Méridien^®, Sheraton^®, Four Points^® by Sheraton, Aloft^®, and Element ^SM.  The company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates.  Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

Press Contact:
Jonathan Hallmark          
Marketing Manager
The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa
t +02.616.9619 | d+971.56.647.831
Jonathan.hallmark@westin.com

© Press Release 2013