Tackling Food Waste and Boosting Recycling in Hospitality
- Wastesolve
- Nov 5
- 3 min read
The hospitality industry thrives on great service, quality food and memorable experiences, but behind the scenes, there’s a costly challenge that often goes unnoticed: waste. From hotel buffets to restaurant kitchens and event venues, food waste and poor recycling can quietly drain profits while adding to environmental impact.
With the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms, tackling food waste is no longer optional; it’s essential. At Wastesolve, we help hotels, restaurants and venues turn waste from a problem into a sustainability opportunity.
The Food Waste Challenge
The UK hospitality and food service sector produces around one million tonnes of food waste every year, according to WRAP, much of it perfectly avoidable. Every kilo wasted represents not just the cost of the ingredients, but also storage, labour, energy and disposal.
When food waste is mixed with general waste, the true cost is hidden. Disposal charges rise, recycling rates fall, and valuable organic material ends up in landfill instead of being converted into renewable energy. Reducing and separating food waste saves money, boosts recycling performance and demonstrates genuine environmental commitment.
What Simpler Recycling Means for Hospitality
Under DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling reforms, businesses in England that produce food waste, including hotels, restaurants and event venues, must have separate food waste collections.
This has been working to build national consistency and help divert millions of tonnes of waste from landfill. For hospitality businesses, it also changing how kitchen and front-of-house operations handle waste separation, stay compliant and meet sustainability goals.
Wastesolve’s Top 5 Ways to Cut Food Waste
Measure what you waste: You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Track where and how food waste occurs, during preparation, overproduction, or uneaten leftovers. Even a short audit can highlight patterns and savings.
Optimise purchasing and prep:Plan menus and stock levels based on actual demand. Simple steps like adjusting portion sizes or prepping ingredients to order can dramatically reduce waste.
Repurpose or redistribute surplus:Work with food redistribution partners to give surplus food a second life. It cuts waste, supports communities and strengthens your brand’s sustainability story.
Separate food waste at source:Set up dedicated food waste bins in kitchens and prep areas. Use colour-coded containers and signage to avoid contamination. Wastesolve provides clear systems and staff training to make separation easy.
Partner with a specialist provider:Collected food waste can be processed through anaerobic digestion, turning it into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser. We can help ensure your waste is managed sustainably and in full compliance with new regulations.
Boosting Recycling in Hospitality
Beyond food waste, hospitality businesses generate large volumes of glass, cardboard, cans and plastics. Separation can be tricky in fast-paced environments, but it’s achievable with the right system design.
At Wastesolve, we are here to help venues implement efficient bin layouts, flexible collection schedules and contamination audits to keep recycling streams clean and costs under control!
How Wastesolve Helps
We combine 25 years of waste management experience with hands-on industry insight:
On-site audits to identify cost and waste reduction opportunities
Fully compliant waste separation and recycling systems
Staff training and awareness sessions
Regular reporting to track progress and demonstrate results
Our goal is simple - to make sustainable waste management effortless and cost-effective for every hospitality client.
Take the Next Step
If you manage a hotel, restaurant, or venue, now’s the time to review your waste and recycling systems.
Contact Wastesolve today for expert advice on reducing food waste, improving recycling and achieving full Simpler Recycling compliance. Together, we can make your operations cleaner, greener and more efficient.
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