Hilton Worldwide has announced that it will begin to eliminate the use of cages for egg-laying chickens and gestation crates for breeding pigs in its global food supply chain.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation’s largest animal protection organization.
Initially all hotels in the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton brands will be required to switch all egg usage to cage-free by December 31, 2017, ensuring that chickens are not confined in cages. All pork products must be purchased from suppliers that house breeding pigs in groups rather than gestation crates by December 31, 2018.
These changes will initially apply in 19 countries where products are currently available and will be adopted in additional markets as supply comes online, Hilton Worldwide says.
These actions are part of the company’s global responsible sourcing strategy, which includes a focus on animal welfare. Last year, Hilton announced a global ban of the sale of shark fin in all owned and managed properties.
“With more than 2,000 restaurants in our global footprint, our goal is to have a considerable impact on sustainable sourcing in our industry as well as drive humane treatment of animals throughout our supply chain,” said Jennifer Silberman, vice president, corporate responsibility for Hilton Worldwide.
Hilton Worldwide also has made considerable progress in reducing its environmental footprint. Late last year, the company announced that it reduced its waste output by 26.8 percent, energy use by 13.6 percent, carbon output by 20.2 percent and water use by 13.1 percent since 2009.
To help carry out its plan, Hilton created LightStay, a proprietary system to measure, analyze and report on sustainability data. In 2010, LightStay helped the company save more than $74 million across its portfolio of 10 hotel brands.