Major hotels join Beacon Farms/IWC food waste recycling programme

Kimpton Seafire and Hotel Indigo join Beacon Farms/IWC food waste recycling programme (l-r Bohdan Chmyliwsky, Director of Engineering, Kimpton Seafire + Hotel Indigo; Alberto Ramirez Gomez, Chef, Kimpton Seafire; Sandy Urquhart, CEO of Beacon Farms; Jason Brown, Managing Director of IWC)

A pilot programme begun in 2023 between Foster’s, Island Waste Carriers (IWC) and Beacon Farms to divert unconsumable food waste from the landfill is scaling up this month as new businesses sign up to the recycling programme that converts organic waste into compost.

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Seafire Residences, Indigo Hotel and Grand Cayman Marriot Resort are the latest additions to the programme, with food waste collections starting in November. They join Foster’s supermarkets, The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, Bonny Moon, Vida, Agua and Aria, and Montessori by the Sea school as organisations committed to separating food waste unfit for human consumption for recycling.

“At Seafire, caring for our environment is central to how we operate. Partnering with dedicated Caymanian partners like Beacon Farms and IWC strengthens our commitment to responsible waste management and a greener Cayman,” said Yann Gillet, General Manager of Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. “We are also proud to support the essential work Beacon Farms is doing to advance food security and sustainable agriculture on the island. Together, we’re ensuring our operations have a positive and lasting impact on the local ecosystem and community.”

To date, the food waste recycling programme has diverted 256 tons of unsellable, unrecoverable and unavoidable food waste from George Town landfill. IWC collects and delivers the green waste to Beacon Farms’ state of the art static aeration composting facility in North Side, where it is mixed with brown waste such as yard trimmings and landscaping debris.

“Food waste typically accounts for around 24% of total waste in any landfill,” said Jason Brown, Managing Director of Island Waste Carriers. “Even with careful inventory management, markdowns and donation programmes to non-profits like Meals on Wheels or the Food Bank, some food waste is unavoidable. Our food waste recycling programme is an example of how collaboration can deliver a real environmental solution.”

Since the programme launched two years ago, Beacon Farms has produced 281 tons nutrient-rich compost to support agricultural production on the farm. With the success of the pilot programme, Beacon Farms is now expanding its compost facility, constructing more static aeration pads to triple the volume of materials processed on site.

“Next year, we expect to produce compost surplus to our needs and can start selling local compost to other farmers and landscapers,” said Sandy Urquhart, CEO of Beacon Farms. “The programme would not be possible without a steady supply of brown and green waste and our partnership with the IWC team for collection and delivery. We are grateful to all our partners for committing to a recycling initiative that benefits farmers and the wider community.”

Businesses interested in participating in the programme can contact IWC for more information at recycling@iwc.ky.