Nov 1, 2016

HMSHost Food Donation Program Recognized with Airports Going Green Award

BETHESDA, MD — Global restaurateur HMSHost's food donation program was recognized with a 2016 Airports Going Green Award for its leadership in the pursuit of sustainability within the aviation industry. HMSHost has increasingly demonstrated a strong commitment to the sustainability of the environments where it operates. As part of HMSHost’s company-wide food donation program, last year alone more than 1.6 million pounds of food was diverted from landfills throughout the United States and Canada.

“Food donation has become one of the most significant green practices which HMSHost is proud to have incorporated into our daily operations and I applaud our associates who have made this Airports Going Green Award possible,” said HMSHost Chief Operating Officer Jeff Yablun. “This is a tremendous honor and we are thankful for the recognition of the positive impact that HMSHost’s food donation program has made not only to the industry’s sustainability efforts, but also in helping feed those in need.”

The HMSHost food donation program was born from a grassroots effort in Tampa International Airport when a group of HMSHost associates decided there were better alternatives to addressing the issue of fresh, high-quality, surplus food that is all but unavoidable in the restaurant industry. Today, the program has expanded to additional North American airports, as well as in HMSHost’s motorway operations, and includes both pre-packaged and freshly prepared foods.

With the food donation program, the communities where HMSHost operates benefit from a green perspective because millions of pounds of donated food is diverted from local landfills, easing the burdens of those municipalities by reducing their waste loads. Local communities also benefit as the quality surplus food is donated to local organizations that help feed those who might otherwise go hungry.

HMSHost’s food donation program supports the three pillars of the company’s industry recognized startsomewhere® sustainability initiative, which focuses on the environment, nutrition and wellness, and community partnerships.

HMSHost was formally recognized at the 9th Annual Airports Going Green Conference in Amsterdam presented by the American Association of Airport Executives, the City of Chicago Department of Aviation, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. To learn more about HMSHost’s sustainability efforts, visit the HMSHost community page.