Waste Management in Hospitality

Globally, the hospitality industry (bars, restaurants, accommodation, and so on) is an enormous producer of waste. It’s an industry often overshadowed by mining and fast fashion when it comes to waste, so hospitality has, unfortunately, largely slipped under the radar in this regard. However, today many environmentalists becoming louder in their demands for change here — and we love it!

As just one example, a 2018 ineedachef article stated that over five million tonnes of food end up in landfill in Australia each year, which equates to 20 billion dollars annually. That’s just food — hospitality also has to consider how to responsibly handle paper, cardboard, cans, plastic and more. So, how can you work to reduce waste and implement sustainable hospitality waste management practices?

Waster, an Australian waste management organisation, suggests tackling the easiest parts first. For most companies, this means taking dry waste seriously — recycling cardboard, rigid plastics, paper, and aluminium. This supports a healthy environment and reduces costs by minimising landfill levies. Next would be improving food waste management. There’s a lot to say here, so we’ll continue this discussion in our next article — keep an eye out.