SUSTAINABLE FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HOTELS: CASE STUDY LANGKAWI UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Abstract

The hotel sector is one of the key players in developing tourism industry in the islands, and contributing towards islands economy, employment opportunities and the overall development. However, food waste generated by hotels has significantly impacted the environment, social well-being and tourism economy. Sustainable food waste management practices are vital among the business operations of the hotel sector to reduce food waste and operational costs through efficient use of food resources. The aim of this paper is to examine current practice of hotel operators towards sustainable food waste management from purchasing of food resources to food wastes disposal. The data was gathered using structured and self-administered questionnaires, which involved 42 hoteliers from the island of Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark. From the main findings, it was found that there was a lack of emphasis from the hotels on their policy related to wastage of food and unsustainable food consumption pattern by their guests. This reflects on the lack of practices towards sustainable food waste management by the hotel sector. Therefore, planning for sustainable food waste management on island hotels is essential to ensure the protection of environmental resources and to reduce the problem regarding limited capacity landfills on the islands.