YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIF.—Yosemite Hospitality, a subsidiary of Aramark and the authorized concessioner of Yosemite National Park, announced significant wins in its effort to remove single-use plastic bottles from its retail and dining establishments. All beverages packaged in single-use plastic bottles have been replaced with alternatives that use glass or aluminum packaging—materials that are far more recyclable and otherwise environmentally preferable than their plastic counterparts.
“Starting 2023 without single-use plastic bottles was a huge step forward in our sustainability efforts and delivers on our commitment to be great stewards of this incredible park,” said Weston Spiegl, Vice President of Operations, Yosemite Hospitality. “We are proud of the work we have done with our partners to make the transition to more environmentally friendly options and are thrilled at the strides we are making in our sustainability practices.”
In addition to the removal of single-use plastic bottles, Yosemite Hospitality has implemented the following major shifts and innovative waste-reduction initiatives to eliminate the use of single-use plastics in Yosemite National Park, well ahead of the U.S. government’s timeline to ban single-use plastics sales on public lands and national parks by 2032:
- Replaced the disposable plastic wrap used in warehouse operations with heavy-duty, reusable pallet wraps, eliminating 780,000 square feet of plastic waste annually.
- Replaced grab-and-go sandwich, salad, and snack packaging with all compostable materials—which are composted in partnership with Mariposa County Solid Waste & Recycling—leading to a projected removal of 5,000 pounds of plastic annually.
- Replaced cardboard pizza boxes with lower waste, compostable paper bags, eliminating more than 100,000 pizza boxes from the waste stream annually.
- Replaced polystyrene foam meat trays and popular plastic-wrapped s’mores kits with compostable packaging alternatives throughout grocery and retail operations.
- Replaced all in-room single-use coffee pods in The Ahwahnee with recyclable Nespresso pods.
- Eliminated sales of all single-use propane canisters and replaced them with Little Kamper brand refillable alternatives.
Promoting planetary health is a central component of Aramark’s Be Well. Do Well. environmental, social, and corporate governance platform and a core value of Yosemite Hospitality. With a strategic focus on reducing its environmental footprint through innovative solutions that promote waste mitigation, responsible sourcing, energy and water conservation, and transportation efficiencies, Yosemite Hospitality works every day to create a better world for the next generation.
The announcement aligns with Aramark’s global goal to embed circularity across its operations and, specifically, to substantially reduce its reliance on single-use plastics and other disposables.
