Høst receives The PLEDGE on Food Waste certificate

After many months of intensive work with food waste, we are proud to say that Høst, as the first restaurant in Europe, has achieved The PLEDGE on Food Waste certification.

Working with food waste is an important part of our dedication to sustainable restaurant operation, and therefore it also means a great deal to us that we now have an international certificate from The PLEDGE on Food Waste.

The PLEDGE on Food Waste is an international, independent program focusing on 9 target areas designed to reduce food waste, reduce costs and, not least, visualise results achieved. In the past 12 months, Høst has dedicated itself to meticulously measuring, weighing and sorting all waste based on detailed schedules and intensive work on optimisation.

Designed on first-hand knowledge from sustainability experts and academics, the PLEDGE is a practical answer to the widely underestimated issue of Food Waste. In line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, it helps organisations to attain goals in combatting hunger, reducing waste generation, and mitigating climate change.

The third party audited standard is articulated around 9 key pillars that include Staff Awareness, Food Waste Monitoring System Implementation, Review of Existing SOPs and Guest Engagement in reducing plate waste. The food waste monitoring methodology has been recognised as aligned with the United Nations’ Draft Food Loss and Waste Standard.

At Høst, we have managed to reduce our food waste by 45% since we started working towards obtaining the certification from THE PLEDGE. This is equivalent to saving 7.2t of food and thereby reducing our CO2 emissions by 14.4t.

The overall goal for all of us is to protect the environment as much as possible - but because we can reduce our food waste with a significant amount, this releases finances to buy more sustainable products, and invest in more sustainable initiatives such as our solar park in Nees and our newly acquired coffee farm in Mexico.

You can read more about The PLEDGE on Food Waste under Our Responsibility.