Food Waste Intelligence

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises rolled out Leanpath across its full fleet of 11 ships in 2023 and has already seen a 36 percent reduction in food waste.

But the cruise line is finding even more value in its food waste measurement and prevention by showcasing their work with Leanpath to guests in a special “Progressive Dinner” series (pictured).

Here’s how Uniworld explains it in their recently released 2023 Impact Report:

“Uniworld engages guests with Leanpath and its mission to fight food waste with a new optional dining opportunity across our fleet called the Progressive Dinner. The dinner is hosted by the Hotel Manager with not more than 10 guests at a time. Each course is served in a different “back of house” area of the ships. Depending on the ship and the facilities, guests might enjoy champagne in the wheelhouse with the Captain, and then a starter in the engine room, then moving on to a different venue. The galley is included in this Progressive Dinner where the Chef demonstrates how Leanpath is used to reduce food waste and why doing so is a priority for us.”

Uniworld’s Sustainability Officer Julie Higgins won the United States Tour Operators Association Future Lights Award in 2023 for introducing food waste prevention to the cruise line.

“In 2020, Julie was charged with identifying a suitable food waste management solution for ships, a task that included working with limited space onboard, weight restrictions, and more,” the award committee stated. “With her leadership, Uniworld began implementing the selected system, Leanpath, in August 2021, making it the first river cruise company with a food waste management system on board.”