Cruise ships are known for their lavish buffets, endless array of food options, and seemingly endless supply of food. But what many people don’t realize is that a lot of this food goes to waste.
According to reports, a single cruise ship can waste anywhere from 7 to 10 tons of food each day – which equates to more than 2,000 pounds of food per passenger.
This amount of food waste is staggering and concerning – especially when you consider the fact that it could be used to feed thousands of people in need. The majority of this wasted food comes from the buffet-style restaurants where guests can pick and choose whatever dish they like – even if they end up not eating it all.
In addition to the buffet-style restaurants onboard cruise ships, other sources of wasted food include uneaten meals in guest rooms, expired goods in pantries, and spoiled ingredients in the galley. It’s estimated that about 25% of all food purchased for a cruise ship ends up being thrown away.
Unfortunately, this issue isn’t limited to just cruise ships. Food waste is a global problem that affects us all. It’s estimated that roughly one third of all the food produced worldwide ends up being wasted – which is enough to feed 3 billion people!
So what can be done?
One solution is for cruise lines to implement policies that discourage guests from taking more food than they can eat. This would require educating guests on how much food they should take when they go through the buffet line and encouraging them to think twice before taking more than what they need.
Cruise lines could also implement policies that encourage crew members and staff members to donate leftover or uneaten food items instead of throwing them away.
This would help reduce the amount of food waste on board, while also providing meals for those who are less fortunate.
Conclusion
It’s clear that there is an excessive amount of wasted food on cruise ships – but it doesn’t have to be this way. By implementing policies that discourage guests from taking more than they can eat and encouraging crew members and staff members to donate leftover or uneaten items instead of throwing them away we can greatly reduce the amount of wasted food on board these vessels.