Assessing the current food waste minimization practices adopted in Hotels

摘要

The hotel service sector on one side acts as a critical driver for economic growth in Kashmir. On the other side, this sector consumes a large amount of energy, which further generated a massive amount of food waste, posed threat to scarce resources and in turn created difficulties not only in utilizing limited resources efficiently but for the waste disposal as well. In Kashmir the food waste challenge in hotel service sector is under-scrutinized yet. This paper is attempted to investigate the management practices adopted by hotels in Kashmir towards food waste. In this regard 35 in-depth interviews with concern hotel managers were conducted. The paper established the significance of the food waste challenges in Kashmir and identified the major causes of food waste in Kashmir. Regardless of consumer's role in generation of food waste, hoteliers largely failed to engage the customers in food waste reduction. In order to reduce plate leftovers, variations to the dining culture should be eased through campaigns targeting to promote public awareness of food waste when dining out. Jammu Kashmir government should take lead to strategize these drives and provide specialist training to hotel staff on how to reduce food waste occurrence in hotels.