The 63rd ICCA Congress, which took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 20-23 October 2024, became the first global event to achieve the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Standard certified by The PLEDGE on Food Waste. This first for the association, provides a blueprint for large-scale global events in the future.
Building on the legacy of the Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy, which was established at the 2023 ICCA Congress in Bangkok, ICCA committed to achieving the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Standard at the ADNEC Centre last October. With the support of LightBlue Consulting as a technical expert, and in partnership with ADNEC and the Capital Catering team, the results included training 200 kitchen, service, and stewarding staff on best practices; 1,115 kilograms of food diverted from landfills; 371 kilograms of food saved during the event; and 928 meals redistributed by Ne’ma, representing 928 kilograms of CO2 equivalent.
In addition, an average 163 grams of food waste per delegate per meal was recorded through LightBlue’s FIT Food Waste Tech. All efforts to train staff, rescue and redistribute food, segregate waste, and effectively transform it were documented and audited, enabling the ICCA Congress to achieve the remarkable score of 87.5% compliance at the ADNEC Centre.
Due to operational challenges, some points were deducted on the separation, transformation, and monitoring sub criteria. The certification for the Congress was limited to covering food operations at the ADNEC Centre only.
Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, said: “Sustainability has become a cornerstone of ICCA’s mission, and achieving the Zero Food Waste to Landfill certification for the 63rd ICCA Congress is a proud moment for our community. This milestone reflects our dedication to innovation and raising the bar for the global events industry.”
Ben Lephilibert, co-founder of The PLEDGE on Food Waste, added: “The certification of the 63rd ICCA Congress as the first Zero Food Waste to Landfill event is a monumental step for the MICE industry. By transforming ambition into measurable impact, ICCA has proven that even large-scale events can lead the way in sustainability. We’re proud to have worked with ICCA, ADNEC, and Capital Catering to create a replicable framework that inspires other organisations to adopt similar commitments.”
