Food Waste Management Practices in the Hospitality Industry: A Sustainability Assessment

Food waste has become a worldwide problem that has not received much attention from the world of research in management and operations. With so many studies focusing on sustainable farming, food supply chains, and environmental science, the managerial and organizational aspects of food waste have not been the focus. This lack of attention limits the knowledge of how management and organizational practices affect the success of efforts to reduce food waste. This study will review the existing literature that pertains to food waste in the hospitality industry, focusing on the challenges of categorizing, measuring, and understanding food waste in these industries. Furthermore, this research aims to review the current knowledge of food waste in the hospitality industry, demonstrating the challenges that exist in categorizing and understanding such an issue. Additionally, this study will show the benefits and obstacles to reducing food waste in such industries. Using examples of successful business practices, this research will suggest a framework for managing food waste in all types of hospitality operations. This framework will look at the organizational abilities of hospitality industries to manage food waste. It will consider staff training, organizational capabilities, financial investment, and cost savings. As part of Sustainable Development Goal 12 concerning food waste management, this research study aims to prove that effective management of food waste is not merely a concern for resourcefulness but also presents a strategic operational approach that can significantly benefit the hospitality industry’s management and organizational goals.