Waste production patterns in hotels and restaurants: An intra-sectoral segmentation approach

Tourism produces >35 m tons of solid waste annually. For waste reduction efforts to be effective, empirical baseline measures of waste production and waste production patterns are needed. This study analyses the waste profiles of hotels and restaurants using national waste data. Results indicate that waste patterns in hotels and restaurants differ significantly from those of other industries and that – within the hotels and restaurants sector – substantial heterogeneity exists in terms of the types of waste generated. These insights highlight the need for targeted improvement approaches to waste management. Data presented in this study also serves as a baseline for benchmarking studies and helps inform the design of segment-specific practical measures to reduce waste generated in hotels and restaurants.