ESG & CSR For Food, Restaurant & Hotel Industry
Case Study: Coastal Composting Awareness Program by Earth5R
INTRODUCTION
Coastal areas are hotspots for tourism, and with it comes a significant amount of organic waste from restaurants, shacks, and beachside pubs. Many of these establishments, especially in regions like Ibiza Island, Malta Island, Goa, Ratnagiri, and Chennai, lacked knowledge and facilities for composting, resulting in large amounts of organic waste being sent to landfills. To address this, Earth5R launched a large-scale training program to raise awareness among shop and restaurant owners on how to efficiently compost food waste at their own locations, turning a potential problem into a sustainable solution.
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Shack and restaurant owners in beach towns generate a considerable amount of food waste but often lack the knowledge or tools to compost it. Popular belief is that composting leads to bad odors and improper degradation. Hence organic waste is often mixed with other waste streams, making it harder to recycle or compost later. Most of this waste ends up in landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This Food Waste Composting Program by Earth5r was designed to change that mindset and provide practical training on sustainable composting practices.
EARTH5R’S INTERVENTION & SOLUTION
Earth5R developed a comprehensive program to train coastal businesses on efficient composting techniques:
- Awareness and Training Workshops: Earth5R volunteers, using the Earth5R app, conducted live demonstrations at the restaurants, shacks, and pubs. They explained the importance of waste segregation and how to efficiently compost organic waste using simple tools like soil, compost starters, and microbes.
- Live Demonstrations: The Earth5R team provided hands-on training, showing restaurant owners how to compost organic waste on-site. They demonstrated the process of separating waste and creating compost, ensuring that it is properly managed without odors or degradation.
- Toolkit for Composting: Earth5R provided a composting toolkit to each business, which included materials and instructions to begin composting efficiently. This made it easy for them to continue the practice independently.
- Sustainability Impact: The program also encouraged participants to use the compost for growing plants or herbs, adding value to their businesses by promoting sustainability and offering fresh, locally grown food to customers.
Explore the benefits of composting for sustainable agriculture
OUTCOMES
- Training Reach:
Earth5R trained 250 shops and restaurants on Ibiza Island, 115 shops on Malta Island, 75 shops on Goa beaches, 23 stores and restaurants in Chennai, and 43 shops in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. - Organic Waste Processed:
The establishments generate around 10 kilograms of organic waste daily. Across all the trained locations, this amounts to approximately 5,160 kilograms (5.16 tons) of organic waste processed daily.
- Carbon Offset:
The Food Waste Composting Program reduced methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas by preventing organic waste from reaching landfills. Each ton of food waste diverted from landfills can prevent the release of around 2.5 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent. Therefore, by composting 5.16 tons of organic waste daily, the program offsets around 12.9 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions daily. - Read more about composting’s environmental impact.
- Behavioral Change and Community Engagement:
The program led to a significant behavioral shift among coastal business owners. They became more aware of sustainable waste management practices and committed to ongoing composting efforts, thereby contributing to a reduction in landfill waste and improved environmental outcomes in these tourist-heavy areas.
Explore community-based waste management
THE ROAD AHEAD
With the success of the program in coastal regions, Earth5R aims to scale the composting initiative to other beach towns and coastal areas globally. By continuing to promote waste segregation and composting, Earth5R is contributing to reducing the environmental impact of tourism while empowering businesses to adopt sustainable practices.
Explore more about Earth5R’s global initiatives
About Earth5R
Earth5R is an ESG and CSR “Action” platform that empowers communities and businesses to take real-world climate action. Through its innovative programs, Earth5R promotes sustainability and circular economy practices, driving environmental and social impact globally.