LET’S TACKLE FOOD WASTE ONE PLATE AT A TIME

Cyprus has the highest rate of food waste in the EU. According to a Eurostat survey (2023) it produces 286kg of food waste per person. Therefore, reducing and managing food waste is a critical challenge for Cyprus. It must comply with the European Directive to reduce food waste by 30% by 2030.

Food Waste Reduction Event at Crowne Plaza Limassol

Crowne Plaza Limassol hosted an event on April 21^st, 2026, called ‘Let’s Tackle Food Waste One Plate at a Time’. The event aimed to bring key stakeholders together to discuss achieving EU food waste reduction targets in Cyprus. It focused particularly on the Ho.Re.Ca industry.

In her opening address, Chrisemily Psilogeni, Director General of ACTE, highlighted the importance of food waste management. She emphasized: “The issue of food waste management is no longer just environmental, but rather economic, operational, and deeply strategic for Cyprus tourism itself.”

The panel discussion which ensued featured:

• Ioanna Constantinidou (Senior Environment Officer, Department of Environment)

• Dr. Ioannis Vyrides (Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, CUT)

• Christos Zachariades (Director & Senior Management Consultant, ERGONAUTS)

• Loizos Afxentiou (Ideator of WASD-AI and waste management expert).

The discussion highlighted key food waste reduction and management challenges. These include the lack of a strategic long-term vision for waste management and inadequate infrastructure. They also include cultural considerations and educational opportunities. The Department of Environment emphasized that the “Pay As You Throw” scheme will be rolled out. Specifically, in September 2026 for businesses and in 2027 for households.

Additionally, Rebecca Pierides, Managing Director at Crowne Plaza Limassol shared best practices from the hotel. During the presentation, she outlined the measures her team have implemented to successfully reduce and manage waste. She highlighted WASD-AI, the new food waste reduction app the hotel has been piloting. To conclude, she invited participants to enjoy a minimal-waste menu featuring exclusively local produce.

The event attracted significant interest from key stakeholders. These included representatives from the Department of Environment and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism. Participants also came from sustainability organizations in Cyprus such as CSTI, CARDET, and Friends of the Earth. Additional attendees represented the hotel, shipping, higher education, consumer goods (CPG), communications, and marketing sectors.

fuTOURiSME

Our sustainable hotel organized the event as part of the Crowne Plaza Limassol WASD-AI – fuTOURiSME project. The European Union funds the fuTOURiSME programme, and CARDET administers it in Cyprus to support small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) in their digital and sustainable transition. WASD-AI was one of twelve proposals in Cyprus to secure the fuTOURiSME grant, a distinction which recognizes the innovation and potential inherent in the project.

WASD-AI: a Cypriot Solution to the Global Challenge of Food Waste Reduction

The innovative AI application WASD-AI aims to transform how professional kitchens think about their food waste and help them to reduce it. By using advanced algorithms, the system identifies waste, estimates its weight, and offers detailed reporting features, allowing users to analyze waste by custom periods. Photos in the back end are time-stamped and can be validated during the training process to improve accuracy. The application presents data by food disposal area or for the whole business. The app offers flexibility and installs easily on various devices such as tablets, phones or wall-mounted cameras, at points which suit your kitchen workflow. In turn, WASD-AI can help HoReCa businesses identify waste patterns and provide insights for food preparation, menu engineering and purchasing which can ultimately reduce costs.

The Crowne Plaza Limassol Case Study: Circular Economy in Practice

Rebecca Pierides, Managing Director at Crowne Plaza Limassol, shared the company’s vision “to shape the future of responsible travel by pioneering a minimal waste hospitality industry”. She described how training, education and certifications such as Green Key, Circular Economy and EMAS led the Crowne Plaza Limassol team to embrace circular economy principles and implement a rigorous waste sorting system, which resulted in 19.45% reduction in waste per guest night (2025 vs. 2024) and diverting over 40,000 kg of waste from landfill in 2025. Looking to the near future, Crowne Plaza Limassol aims to continue using WASD-AI to further reduce food waste and lower the environmental impact of its remaining food waste by installing a composter.

The Crowne Plaza Limassol – WASD-AI pilot showcases how the Cyprus hotel industry can aim beyond compliance and pioneer innovative food waste reduction solutions.

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.