In the hospitality and food services sector, each year, 1.1 million tonnes are thrown out. Even worse, 75% are perfectly edible. Food waste is harmful to the environment because it generates greenhouse gases and wastes resources. But it’s not only our planet. Guardians of Grub is a government initiative aimed at reducing food wastage in the hospitality sector. It is estimated that the industry loses PS3.2 billion per year due to the 1.1 million tonnes of food that are wasted.
The hospitality industry is struggling to cope with the post-pandemic challenges, rising energy and supply prices and the cost of wasteful food. While it may be hard to know where to begin when tackling the problem of food waste, adopting simple, sustainable practices will help reduce the financial and ecological impact.
This article will explain why food waste can be a problem for restaurants and why it’s important to reduce waste. We will discuss the common causes of waste food and give you tips on how to reduce it in your business.
Why is food waste a problem?
Working in the hospitality sector can make food waste seem like an inevitable side effect. In the hospitality industry, food waste occurs in a similar way to domestic waste. When you serve hundreds of customers a day, it’s only natural that there will be hefty amounts of garbage. Food waste, although it is categorized as an “unavoidable” evil, poses a serious problem to the hospitality industry, both in terms of the greenhouse gases it produces and the negative impact on profits.
Food waste can have a devastating impact on the environment. Food left in landfills to rot releases methane, which is 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. It also has 28 times the global warming potential. When edible food is thrown out, resources such as energy, water and labour used to grow, process, and transport the food are wasted. The water footprint for the UK’s total food waste is estimated at around 5.4 billion cubic meters. In a government report from 2024 on food waste, it was found that 10% of all food wasted in the UK came from the food service and hospitality sector. The hospitality and food services sector wasted 540 million cubic meters of water, which is roughly equivalent to 216,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The sector can also avoid a financial burden by reducing food waste. In 2019, the UK hospitality industry generated PS59.3 billion, which is roughly 3% of the UK’s total economic output. In 2020, the figure fell by 42 %, and even though it rose in 2021, it was still 21 % lower than that of 2019. Covid was particularly hard on the hospitality industry due to lockdowns and socializing restrictions. The hospitality industry, despite its efforts to gain stability, continues to struggle with COVID’s fallout, rising operating costs, and a cost of living crisis which is affecting customers. Food waste is then seen as a cost that can be avoided, but many in the industry cannot afford it.
WRAP estimates food waste costs the hospitality sector PS3.2 billion per year. This is an average of PS10,000 for each outlet. This amount of money can be difficult to comprehend, especially for an industry where finances are tight. When you consider that waste is cumulative, it’s easier to understand how over-ordering and overproduction, as well as human error, can lead to such large amounts of garbage.
Why is food wasted in restaurants?
Restaurants, in a similar way to household waste, can generate food waste. It is also cumulative. This means that even seemingly small amounts of food waste, such as the odd vegetable peel or fat trimmings, can add up and create a large amount of waste. Some causes of food wastage are specific to the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Food waste is caused by:
- Consumer Plate Wastage – Similar to domestic settings, waste is created when food is not finished and thrown out. This type of waste is caused by large portion sizes and the inability to bring leftovers home.
- Overordering and spoilage—Many people in the hospitality sector plan ahead to prepare ingredients for busy days. It is better to over-prepare than under-prepare. They may then end up ordering too many ingredients and supplies to avoid delays and ensure that their kitchens are well-stocked. If the food does not sell for some reason, then restaurants may have a surplus that they need to use before it spoils.
- Trimmed and Peeling Waste– This waste is created when food is prepared and includes fruit peels, vegetable skins, and fat trimmings. Restaurants can serve hundreds of people per day and generate a lot of waste because they prepare large amounts of food.
- Menu Modifications—A menu change can be a great opportunity for a restaurant to attract new customers. However, if the new menu is drastically different from the previous one, unused or unwanted inventory may be wasted.
- Overproduction — Like ordering too much, the desire to be prepared often leads to overproduction. Restaurants may prepare more food than is necessary and do so in a way that makes it hard to use the excess in other dishes. Pre-prepared foods are not used, resulting in food waste.
Food waste in the hospitality industry is affected by many factors, including the type of establishments and the types of food that are served. To reduce waste, it is important to identify the unique ways that the sector generates it. Remember that food waste is not only generated by bricks-and-mortar businesses. Mobile caterers are also responsible for significant amounts. Mobile companies are often limited in space and, therefore, less susceptible to ordering too much or producing too much food. However, plate waste from consumers and waste during preparation still contributes to a large amount of food waste.
How to reduce food waste in restaurants
Douglas McMaster, the owner of Silo, the first zero-waste restaurant in the world, believes that “waste is an imagination failure.” The hospitality industry is undoubtedly one of creativity and avant-garde experiments. The hospitality industry is known for its innovative and avant-garde menus, as well as the creation of amazing dishes. This same creativity can be used to reduce food waste. Just like creating a new menu, tackling food waste is a creative and exciting thought exercise. It shouldn’t be treated as if it were a tedious, unimportant job.
Here are 10 tips to reduce food wastage. You may not be able to implement every suggestion, but you can use your creativity to adapt and change suggestions until you find the best solution for your company.
Proper Storage
Menus Smart and Seasonal
Staff Training
Engage Customers
Adaptable Portion sizes
Ordering
Stock Rotation
Compost
Repurpose Leftover Preparation
Donate or sell the surplus.
Businesses are now under more pressure to be sustainable with the new regulations on food waste separation. Finding ways to reduce waste food will help your business run more sustainably and efficiently, as well as ensure compliance with regulations.
It is difficult to reduce food waste, but it’s not impossible. It is important to keep in mind that progress, and not perfection, should be the goal when taking steps to become more sustainable. It is better to adopt a few small but consistent practices than to commit to zero waste and fail after one week. Find new and innovative ways to reduce food waste and protect the environment while saving money.
Additional Resources
- Recycling in the Hospitality Industry – How and Why?
- Self-Inspection Checklist for Food Establishments: Prepare for EHO visits
- Food Hygiene Training
