title: Conceptual framework for the study of food waste generation and prevention in the hospitality sector.
abstract: Food waste has significant detrimental economic, environmental and social impacts. The magnitude and complexity of the global food waste problem has brought it to the forefront of the environmental agenda; however, there has been little research on the patterns and drivers of food waste generation, especially outside the household. This is partially due to weaknesses in the methodological approaches used to understand such a complex problem. This paper proposes a novel conceptual framework to identify and explain the patterns and drivers of food waste generation in the hospitality sector, with the aim of identifying food waste prevention measures. This conceptual framework integrates data collection and analysis methods from ethnography and grounded theory, complemented with concepts and tools from industrial ecology for the analysis of quantitative data. A case study of food waste generation at a hotel restaurant in Malaysia is used as an example to illustrate how this conceptual framework can be applied. The conceptual framework links the biophysical and economic flows of food provisioning and waste generation, with the social and cultural practices associated with food preparation and consumption. The case study demonstrates that food waste is intrinsically linked to the way we provision and consume food, the material and socio-cultural context of food consumption and food waste generation. Food provisioning, food consumption and food waste generation should be studied together in order to fully understand how, where and most importantly why food waste is generated. This understanding will then enable to draw detailed, case specific food waste prevention plans addressing the material and socio-economic aspects of food waste generation.
authors.affiliation: Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia. Electronic address: epapargyropoulou@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Effie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papargyropoulou
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Technology, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK. Electronic address: nigel.wright@dmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, University of Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 2, Utrecht 34460, Netherlands. Electronic address: R.Lozano@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.affiliation: Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. Electronic address: J.K.Steinberger@leeds.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinberger
authors.affiliation: Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia. Electronic address: rory.kl@utm.my.
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Padfield
authors.affiliation: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Chancellery Building, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia. Electronic address: zaini@utm.my.
authors.forename: Zaini
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ujang
mesh_terms: D005502:Food; D005735:Garbage; D007221:Industry; D008296:Malaysia; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012147:Restaurants; D062611:Solid Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D062611:Solid Waste
keywords: Behaviour; Eco-efficiency; Food consumption; Food provisioning; Food waste; Hospitality sector; Material flow; Social practices