Biting Off More Than They Can Chew: Food Waste at Hotel Breakfast Buffets

Tourists bite off more than they can chew at hotel breakfast buffets. Food waste from hotel buffets means unnecessary food cost for hotels as well as an unnecessary burden on the environment. The present study measured food waste at a hotel breakfast buffet and identified the following guest and breakfast characteristics as being significantly associated with higher plate waste: more children in the guest mix, more Russians and less Austrians or Germans, fewer hotel guests in the breakfast buffet area as well as more buffet stations being set up. These insights contribute to knowledge on environmental sustainability in tourism, pointing to interesting market segments for targeting in high demand periods as well as promising target segments for interventions (e.g., families) and indicate that simple measures such as rearrangements of the breakfast room may reduce food waste.

From Old Habits to New Routines—A Case Study of Food Waste Generation and Reduction in Four Swedish Schools

Public food service organizations are large producers of food waste, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions and the waste of natural resources. The aim of the present article was to gain insight into reasons for food waste and possible solutions for lowering food waste in schools in Sweden. In order to do so, food waste quantification in school canteens in two Swedish municipalities and nine qualitative interviews with key actors were conducted. Both municipalities displayed a high degree of variation in food waste, but the common pattern was that serving waste constituted the largest fraction of food waste, followed by plate waste and storage waste, as well as a gradual decrease in food waste over time. Food waste was mainly a result of old, disadvantageous habits, such as overproduction due to forecasting difficulties, whereas new, better routines such as serving fewer options, better planning, and a less stressful environment are the key to lowering food waste. Because food waste varies from one case to the next, it becomes important to identify and measure the causes of food waste in each school in order to be able to establish tailor-made, conscious, and flexible food waste mitigation routines.

Minimising plate waste at hotel breakfast buffets: an experimental approach through persuasive messages

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how hotel guests can be nudged for more active engagement in hospitality plate waste prevention and moderation at buffets, through designing effective persuasive interventions. Plate waste is a main sustainability challenge, and it is considered one of the major drivers of food waste in the hospitality sector, whose operations generate excessive amounts of waste. The hospitality industry, featured by all-you-can-eat buffet-style settings, is somehow encouraging consumers to increase the amount of food ordered or taken and not been eaten.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports a field experiment conducted in a real hotel setting, where persuasive interventions were targeted to consumers at the croissants buffet, when guests were making their selections. The research tests the persuasiveness of functional and experiential appeal messages to nudge hotel guests towards a more active engagement in avoiding plate waste. Each single treatment was carried out for three weeks in varying sequence.FindingsThe findings are based on 63 rounds of data collections and show the superiority of experiential appeal messages in positively influencing guests’ behaviour. This implies that appropriate messages can persuade tourists to avoid plate waste in buffet-style settings, especially if these messages are grounded in participatory cues with an emphasis on altruistic values.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies that empirically tests the effectiveness of different persuasive interventions in a real consumption setting, thus measuring actual behaviours which have been rarely studied. This study further contributes to the identification of concrete communication tools that can help to mitigate plate waste generation.

Drivers of plate waste: A mini theory of action based on staff observations

Restaurants waste one fifth of the food they buy; much is left behind on people's plates (Engström & Carlsson-Kanyama, 2004). Plate waste forces restaurants to buy more food than necessary, and to pay for food waste disposal; and burdens the environment, with agriculture “a dominant force behind…climate change” (Foley et al., 2011, p.337).Plate waste is under-researched in tourism (Gössling & Peeters, 2015), with buffets being particularly wasteful (15 g per person per day at breakfast; Juvan, Grün, & Dolnicar, 2018). Only two measures are proven to reduce plate waste at hotel buffets: smaller plates, and explaining to guests that getting seconds is better than taking too much at once (Kallbekken & Sælen, 2013). Social science theories underlie these effective practical measures: the idea of plate size reduction stems from obesity theory; and inviting patrons back leverages social norms. The present study develops a new “mini-theory of action” (Rossiter, 2011, p.119) to inform the development a wider range of practical measures for plate waste reduction. Mini-theories of action formulate possible reasons for human behaviour, opening these hypothesized cause-and-effect relationships up for empirical testing in real behavioural contexts (Rossiter, 2011). Mini-theories of action, arguably, are the starting point for any new social science theory. As such, our study's contribution is primarily theoretical. Pathways to practical impact are discussed.We conducted unstructured interviews with 10 chefs and 23 waiters/waitresses (of varying gender and work experience) in three four-star rated hotels serving buffet-style meals to 300–1200 guests daily. We asked why guests leave uneaten food behind. Service staff observe and talk to guests daily, frequently checking if they are finished. In response, guests offer explanations why some food remains uneaten. Chefs design menus to minimize food waste. We identify specific drivers of plate waste, and seven overarching themes.

Modifikasi alat cakram untuk proses pembelajaran

The purpose of this research is to modify a simple disc device for learning physical education. The research method used was the development of Borg & Gall, namely (1) collecting information, (2) developing the initial form (in the form of a disc tool model), (3) expert validation testing, namely using 1 validation of athletic experts and one physical education learning expert, and small-scale trials using questionnaires and analysis, (4) revision of the first product design, based on the results of experts and small-scale trials (20 students), (5) field trials (48 students), (6) final product revision, (7) the final result of the modification produced through revision of field trials.The results of expert validation were carried out by 2 validities, namely validation in the field of athletic experts and validation of physical education material experts, and the results obtained in each validity were the first for the validation results in the field of athletic experts getting a percentage of 87.6% calcification (Good) , the second for the validation results in the field of Physical Education material experts got a percentage of 83.0% with the classification (Good). The results of the student questionnaire on a small scale test got a percentage of 86.6% (good). the results of the questionnaire on large-scale test students got a percentage of 81.8% (good).The conclusion and advice is that the development of a modified model of disc throwing tools with iron plate waste media can be used as an alternative to discus throwing. With the modification of disc throwing, teachers and students can be helped in learning discusses, students are interested and more active and excited in learning throw the disc.

Food waste management: an example from university refectory

PurposeThe study analysed the amount of plate waste in a university refectory in Izmir, Turkey to find ways of minimizing plate waste in the university, providing sustainability and contributing to the development of circular economy and raising awareness about the plate waste problem.Design/methodology/approachObservation and semi-structured interviews were used to determine the volume of plate waste and level of awareness of academicians, students and administrative staff and suggest sustainable solutions for food waste in university refectories. The data gained from the semi-structured interviews were analysed with qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA®).FindingsPlate waste in the university's refectories is increasing due to the lack of precautionary measures. Academicians, students and administrative staff all showed low awareness rates.Originality/valueThis study is original in investigating theoretically and empirically one of the main reasons for food waste, namely plate waste in mass consumption sites, and evaluating the effect of food waste from an economic, social and environmental perspective.