KEY DRIVERS OF FOOD WASTE GENERATION: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF BOURNEMOUTH RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS

Abstract

The significant growth in hospitality industry and food waste means it is crucial to draw more attention to the issue of the food waste generation, especially avoidable food waste. The issue of food waste is global issue that is getting more and more attention as the social, environmental, and economic impacts become more widely acknowledged and comprehended. This study aims to explore the key drivers of food waste generation by focusing on managers and workers perspectives in Bournemouth restaurants and cafes and Identify the motivators for managers and staff to reduce food waste. Non- probability quota sampling was implemented for the selection of participants and semi-structured interview was conducted for the generation of the primary data. Analysis of the responses demonstrated the key drivers of food waste generation are categorized into managerial factors and external factors. The managerial factors driving food waste generation are absence of food waste auditing and journal, portion size, menu design, lack of staff training and inaccurate forecasting. While external factor is due to the lack of consumer awareness. In addition, unsustainable food consumption habits and fixed portion/ fixed price policy are identified as the challenge in sustainable food waste management. The study indicates that the main motive in food waste reduction is financial motive to reduce cost and save money, while environmental motive is reported as the least motivator factor towards food waste mitigation. This study revealed that these factors are interconnected in which all of them compile and play a role in food waste generation. Therefore, these factors should be addressed to sustainably manage food waste from preparation to consumption stage to mitigate avoidable food waste.