WWF-US Hotel Kitchen Toolkit

Published on March 31, 2023

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, came together to work with the hospitality industry on understanding and reducing food waste. Through research and a series of demonstration projects with properties across the country, innovative strategies were identified to engage staff, partners and guests in cutting waste from hotel kitchens. This toolkit provides the background, tools and resources a property of any size needs to:

PREVENT food waste from occurring at their properties;

DONATE what cannot be prevented but is still safe for people to eat; and

DIVERT the rest away from landfills.

In the US, it is estimated that 30-40% of all food is lost or wasted. A large portion of this food waste ends up in landfills where it emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The amount of nutrients wasted globally is likely more than enough to feed every malnourished person on the planet.

When food goes to waste, everything that was invested into food production is also wasted, including the forests and grasslands that are cleared for agriculture or grazing, representing the largest driver of biodiversity loss on the planet. It’s time to re-evaluate and recognize food’s incredible impact and value.

WWF is working to transform sectors where we see potential to make the biggest impact. It’s estimated that 40% of food waste happens in customer-facing businesses like restaurants, supermarkets and hotels. Hotels, which serve $35 billion dollars in catering and banquets each year in the US, are an ideal test bed to learn, iterate, drive waste reduction, and help reshape the food service industry as leaders in food waste reduction.