Food waste recycling is not a new concept, especially to Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Resorts. In 2008, Harvest Energy at Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida became the first provider of renewable energy through organic recycling of methane gas produced by food waste. At its largest scale, the plant would be able to power 120,000 homes!
Sodexo, Inc.’s Better Tomorrow 2025 goals align with Walt Disney World’s views on food waste recycling. This past fall, Elaina D’Aguiar, a dietetic intern with the Sodexo Distance Internship, and I had the opportunity to participate in the Better Tomorrow and EPA/USDA goals of reducing food waste while completing my food service management rotation at Walt Disney World Orlando during Sodexo’s Wasteless Week. Our goal was to increase the practice of food waste recycling by implementing a plan to link Disney’s food waste program with SodexoMAGIC’s Waste Watch Program.
With the help of the Sodexo management team, Elaina and I partnered with the Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts’ Environmental Integration Team’s Coordinator and identified 25 SodexoMAGIC locations on the Disney property to support this initiative. We created an elaborate plan specific to each location’s unique layout and food waste staging areas to increase food waste recycling. Our efforts were well received and Sodexo and Disney will continue to work together to increase food waste recycling, using our project plan.
Throughout my experience at Walt Disney World, I primarily worked in the resorts. I managed the execution of an employee, “cast member”, appreciation $1 meal day, the launch of a new breakfast menu, completed kitchen audits, toured the resorts and theme parks, and stood in a on a SodexoMAGIC corporate meeting introducing new kitchen concepts. Lastly, I had the opportunity to execute a 4-day marketing and nutrition education campaign in one of the resort’s employee, “cast member”, lunchrooms to market the Mindful Grab N’ Go items. I also created a menu for the week that contained all Mindful meals to educate on how healthy eating can taste great and does not have to cost you more. This activity was a team effort, which I could not have completed with the support of Brian, the manager, and the SodexoMAGIC retail and kitchen staff. I would go back any day!
Sodexo, Inc.’s Better Tomorrow 2025 goals align with Walt Disney World’s views on food waste recycling. This past fall, Elaina D’Aguiar, a dietetic intern with the Sodexo Distance Internship, and I had the opportunity to participate in the Better Tomorrow and EPA/USDA goals of reducing food waste while completing my food service management rotation at Walt Disney World Orlando during Sodexo’s Wasteless Week. Our goal was to increase the practice of food waste recycling by implementing a plan to link Disney’s food waste program with SodexoMAGIC’s Waste Watch Program.
With the help of the Sodexo management team, Elaina and I partnered with the Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts’ Environmental Integration Team’s Coordinator and identified 25 SodexoMAGIC locations on the Disney property to support this initiative. We created an elaborate plan specific to each location’s unique layout and food waste staging areas to increase food waste recycling. Our efforts were well received and Sodexo and Disney will continue to work together to increase food waste recycling, using our project plan.
Throughout my experience at Walt Disney World, I primarily worked in the resorts. I managed the execution of an employee, “cast member”, appreciation $1 meal day, the launch of a new breakfast menu, completed kitchen audits, toured the resorts and theme parks, and stood in a on a SodexoMAGIC corporate meeting introducing new kitchen concepts. Lastly, I had the opportunity to execute a 4-day marketing and nutrition education campaign in one of the resort’s employee, “cast member”, lunchrooms to market the Mindful Grab N’ Go items. I also created a menu for the week that contained all Mindful meals to educate on how healthy eating can taste great and does not have to cost you more. This activity was a team effort, which I could not have completed with the support of Brian, the manager, and the SodexoMAGIC retail and kitchen staff. I would go back any day!
