Reduced food waste in Dutch hospitality sector

A recent report reveals that the hospitality sector in the Netherlands has wasted 9.2% less food compared to 2019. Despite this reduction, the wasted quantity still represents a staggering €647 million, an increase from €582 million in 2019, attributed to inflation.

The Food Waste Challenge, an initiative by Rabobank in collaboration with Wastewatchers, Hotelschool The Hague, and the Foundation Together Against Food Waste, showed that restaurants wasted 9% less food, and hotels as much as 17.6%. These improvements have contributed to a total decrease of 5.6 million kilograms in food wastage and a reduction of 11,000 tons in CO2 emissions.

The results from the recent Food Waste Challenge 2022-2023 are promising: businesses wasted 28% less food. In comparison, the 2019 edition recorded a 21% reduction. The intensification of the program and the increasing pressure on hospitality businesses to reduce waste are credited for this improvement.

If the hospitality sector continues its current trend, achieving the goal of halving food waste by 2030 becomes attainable. Hotels, already showing a 17% reduction since 2019, are leading the way. However, restaurants will need to ramp up their efforts to enhance the current 9% reduction.

A stark comparison reveals that the 55.4 million kilograms of food wasted annually in the hospitality industry would be enough to feed a city the size of Den Bosch (with 155,000 inhabitants) for nearly a year.

Rising costs in the hospitality sector have played a part in this shift. Hotels and restaurants are actively seeking ways to improve their margins and combat waste. Recommended effective strategies include raising awareness, staff engagement, menu engineering, and utilizing data for insights.

View the results (Dutch only)

Rabobank.nl