Six Senses Joins UN-Backed Initiative to Tackle Food Waste

Six Senses has officially joined the "Recipe of Change" initiative, a global effort spearheaded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Tourism. Announced this week, the collaboration commits participants to halving food waste across their operations by 2030. For Six Senses, this aligns with their long-established "Eat With Six Senses" philosophy, which prioritizes natural, local, and sustainable ingredients.

The brand's approach to sustainability, as articulated by InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, has been central since its inception in the mid-1990s. This commitment is deeply embedded, influencing every facet of their 27 properties globally, from culinary teams to horticulturists and even coral conservationists.

Jeff Smith, VP of Sustainability at Six Senses, notes that reducing food waste is an ongoing, evolving process within their hotels and resorts. He states, as reported by InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, that their understanding of effective practices—from designing waste-conscious, plant-forward menus to managing produce provenance and returning nutrients to the soil—has been honed over three decades. The "Recipe of Change" initiative, according to Smith, provides a critical platform for collective action and mutual learning.

Six Senses integrates sustainability education through its "Earth Labs," introduced in 2017. These dedicated spaces allow guests to engage with practical, hands-on activities, from crafting lip balms to composting organic waste. The brand also employs meticulous kitchen practices, including daily waste measurement, production planning based on occupancy, and menu rationalization to reduce consumption. Smaller batch cooking and standardized portion sizes are standard, with InterContinental Hotels Group PLC citing the host canteens at Six Senses Vana as an example, where no food waste is reportedly generated.

Our take: Six Senses has long been a frontrunner in sustainable luxury, and this official partnership merely formalizes existing practices. The brand's operational transparency and commitment to guest education through initiatives like Earth Labs set a benchmark. While the industry increasingly pays lip service to eco-conscious practices, Six Senses demonstrates a holistic, ingrained philosophy that moves beyond token gestures. Their focus on practical, granular solutions—like leveraging every part of a pineapple or repurposing coffee grounds—highlights a level of dedication that is genuinely impactful, proving that luxury and genuine environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive.