Food left over from hotel kitchens could soon find its way to people who need it. ARTOTEL Gelora Senayan has partnered with Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Indonesia to introduce a daily food rescue programme, collecting surplus meals from the hotel’s dining operations and redistributing them to communities in need. The initiative aims to reduce food waste while addressing food insecurity in Jakarta.
Food waste remains a significant problem in the capital. In 2023, it accounted for 49.87% of Jakarta’s total waste, amounting to approximately 1.57 million tonnes over the year. Hotels and restaurants contribute to the challenge, with daily food preparation and dining services often generating surplus meals that remain perfectly safe to eat.
For ARTOTEL Gelora Senayan, the partnership offers a way to address this problem through its daily operations. Instead of allowing excess food to go to waste, the hotel will work with SOS Indonesia to ensure that suitable meals reach communities facing food insecurity. The process begins with surplus food collected from the hotel’s breakfast, lunch and dinner services. Every day, SOS Indonesia’s team will collect the food using refrigerated vehicles before carrying out quality control checks to ensure it remains safe for consumption. Approved meals will then be distributed through the organisation’s network of community partners and beneficiaries.
The programme supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), which promotes responsible consumption and production, including efforts to reduce food waste. It also contributes to the objectives of SDG 2: Zero Hunger by redirecting edible food to people who need it.
Behind the initiative is Scholars of Sustenance, an international non-profit organisation operating in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The organisation specialises in rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to vulnerable communities, working with businesses to reduce waste and improve access to meals.
Yana Nuraga, General Manager of ARTOTEL Gelora Senayan Jakarta, sees the partnership as an opportunity to make responsible food management part of the hotel’s daily operations.
“As part of the hospitality industry, we recognise that sustainability begins with the everyday activities of hotel operations. Through our collaboration with Scholars of Sustenance, we want to ensure that surplus food that remains safe for consumption does not end up as waste, but instead continues to benefit communities in need.”
For Scholars of Sustenance, the collaboration also brings another hospitality partner into its food rescue network. Morra Lovreza, Community and Operations Manager at SOS Jakarta Office, believes that greater participation from hotels could help reduce the amount of edible food discarded in the city.
“Our collaboration with ARTOTEL Gelora Senayan demonstrates how the hospitality industry can make a tangible positive impact on the environment. Through this food rescue initiative, we are not only reducing food waste but also taking steps together towards a hunger-free Jakarta, in line with the Zero Hunger goal.”
With daily collections incorporated into its food operations, ARTOTEL Gelora Senayan is making food redistribution part of its ongoing sustainability efforts. The partnership also provides a model for how hospitality businesses can manage surplus food responsibly, turning an everyday operational challenge into a regular source of support for Jakarta’s communities.
For more information, visit artotelgelorasenayan.com
