Over the past three years, Singapore’s National Environment Agency recorded an average of 724,000 tonnes of food waste generated annually. That’s a mountain of food wasted! At the same time, 10% of households experienced food insecurity at least once a year, with two out of five of these households experiencing food insecurity at least once a month, according to a study conducted by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at Singapore Management University.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) in Singapore is committed to reducing food waste and giving back to the community it is in. The six hotels – Orchard Hotel, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Copthorne King’s, M Hotel, M Social and Studio M – have partnered with Divert for 2nd Life (D2L), a community organisation that helps to rescue and divert excess prepared food that might end up discarded in regular operations.

The prepared food, along with excess food ingredients, now goes to the community for beneficiaries such as the low-income and rental flat residents. Through these donation efforts, the hotels are able to cut down on wastage on excess prepared food, such as for buffets at the restaurants, or bento boxes for guests serving their Stay Home Notice, and at the same time, extend support to the needy and those facing food insecurity.

Since the partnership started in mid-August, the six hotels have redistributed about 721 bento boxes and 100kg of other food items, including trimmings, raw ingredients and dry food.