Vegas Hotel Turns Food Waste Into Pig Slop

Las Vegas is an epicenter of excess. Within it, however, one hotel is a model of sustainability.

Aria Resort and Casino generated 7 million pounds of leftover food last year. Instead of throwing all of that food into a landfill, the hotel reduced its food waste to zero.

Their solution: Sending leftovers to pig farmers to be turned into slop. Pigs are famous for eating basically anything thrown in front of them, and by giving them leftover food, Aria has done its part to solve the growing food waste crisis in the United States.

In fact, pig farms are one of the best places to bring extra food, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Pig farmers love to take leftovers because it's free food for the pigs. And while pigs prefer fruits, vegetables, and grain waste, they still happily accept Aria's sushi and roast beef.

Aria's brilliant solution throws light on the restaurant industry's food waste problem. More than half of restaurants refuse to donate extra food because of liability fears — despite being protected from such backlash in the legal system.