Azzurri Group announces 10% reduction in carbon emissions

The ASK Italian, Zizzi, and Coco di Mama operator has revealed in its third annual Sustainable Dining Report that it has achieved a reduction in carbon emissions of 9.7%, driven by strategic developments in the supply chain.

The company says its ‘first-of-its-kind for the UK hospitality sector’ circular food waste initiative contributed to a significant improvement in waste management. The initiative, in partnership with Bio Collectors, collects restaurant food waste in London and converts it into biogas and fertiliser to support wheat growth.

The wheat is harvested by ADM Milling to make flour that’s used in 200 ASK Italian and Zizzi restaurants – creating a traceable, closed loop supply chain.

Azzurri also achieved its target of using 100% widely recyclable takeaway packaging across its ASK Italian and Zizzi brands, resulting in new purchasing guidelines for buyers and suppliers.

The company says it has transitioned takeaway pasta bowls from recyclable plastic to paper-based packaging – eliminating 48 tonnes of plastic from its supply chain every year. By redesigning takeaway pizza boxes, it also cut over 145,000m2 of cardboard – equivalent to 16 football pitches.

Azzurri Group also improved food distribution, cutting over 140,000 food miles. ASK Italian and Zizzi cut 75,000 food miles by partnering with Best Food, while Coco di Mama optimised its delivery strategy, saving 66,000 food miles.

“The business made strong progress in 2023, measurably reducing our carbon intensity and absolute emissions while continuing to expand the restaurant portfolio,” says Azzurri Group CEO Steve Holmes.

“We’ve demonstrated our commitment to tackling food waste - one of the industry’s most challenging problems - by further enhancing our redistribution strategy to ensure food surpluses are supplied to those most in need.

“We’ve also worked hard to improve the circularity of our brands, launching our closed-loop food waste system which is an industry first. I am delighted with our accomplishments in 2023, and efforts are already well under way to ensure we go even further in the future.

“We remain fully committed to becoming net-zero across our operations and supply chains by 2040, to reduce food waste by 15% by 2030, and to ensure that all out-of-restaurant packaging is widely recyclable by 2025.”

In 2023, Azzurri Group committed to ensuring all restaurant refurbishments and new openings are consistent with SKA building standards, a third party verified assessment aiming to promote environmental best practices within building fitouts. Its Zizzi in Leeds and Coco di Mama in Reading achieved SKA Gold Certification this year, bringing the total to three sites with further scheduled for the coming year.