Zenbird Editorial TeamThe Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel has announced it will formalise a partnership with the Yokohama Zoological Gardens, known as Zoorasia, to repurpose surplus food from their buffets. The hotel will provide fruit and bread not consumed at its buffet to be used as special snacks for the zoo’s animals, through a regular monthly programme held on the third Sunday of every month.
The project originally launched in August 2025 through a collaboration between a local hotel, a transport operator, and the zoo. The primary objective is to reduce food loss while providing an educational experience for the public. By observing animals consume food originally intended for human consumption, visitors gain a practical understanding of food value and the necessity of waste reduction.
The Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel joined the scheme earlier this year. Following positive feedback from trials conducted between March and May, the hotel decided to commit to a long-term schedule. The programme now includes chimpanzees alongside the original participants, the Indian elephants.
Surplus items such as oranges, grapefruits, and grapes are sourced from the hotel’s Ocean Terrace buffet dining room. Staff refrigerate the fruit in a fresh state immediately after business hours. A logistics partner then transports the items to Zoorasia. The hotel expects to provide approximately one kilogram of fruit per scheduled day.
