Food Waste Management at Selected Tourist Hotels in Zanzibar: Current Practices and Challenges in Creating a Circular Economy in the Hospitality Sector

Biubwa Ally (), Aziza Abdulkadir, Arne Remmen, Stig Hirsbak, Haji Mwevura, Peter Furu and Fredrick Salukele
Additional contact information
Biubwa Ally: Department of Environmental Science and Management, School of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam P.O. Box 35176, Tanzania
Aziza Abdulkadir: Department of Environmental Science and Management, School of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam P.O. Box 35176, Tanzania
Arne Remmen: Department of Sustainability and Planning, Aalborg University, 2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
Stig Hirsbak: Department of Sustainability and Planning, Aalborg University, 2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
Haji Mwevura: Department of Natural Sciences, Abdulrahman Al-Sumait University, Chukwani, Zanzibar P.O. Box 1933, Tanzania
Peter Furu: Department of Public Health, Global Health Section, University of Copenhagen, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Fredrick Salukele: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam P.O. Box 35176, Tanzania

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-23

Abstract: Tourism is the key economic sector of and contributor to employment in Zanzibar. However, tourism growth creates a demand for more hotels, contributing to more waste. Meanwhile, food waste in the hospitality sector remains a concern due to its impact on food sustainability and its economic and environmental footprint. This study examines food waste management in selected tourist hotels located along the east coast and north districts of the island and recommends strategies for improvement. Mixed methods, including surveys and key informants’ interviews and observations, were used for data collection to map the waste flow along the food value chain, analyze the selected hotels’ management practices, and consider stakeholders’ perspectives. The findings reveal that food wastage occurs at each stage of business operations, and the largest waste stream is located at hotels, with an average estimate of 1.8 kg per guest per day. Most waste is generated during food preparation and when serving customers, constituting both avoidable and unavoidable food fractions. Moreover, the implementation of sustainable practices is scarce due to challenges, such as a lack of food waste minimization and management plans and a low level of knowledge and coordination among staff and other stakeholders. However, hotel managers’ knowledge, experience, and willingness to change, as well as the ongoing Greener Zanzibar Campaign, are driving forces for enhancing circular and sustainable practices at tourist hotels. Based on the findings, strategies, such as involving local suppliers close to the hotels for perishable products, reusing leftover food for staff and donations to local communities, and staff training on handling food waste are recommended. The practical implications of this study will help hoteliers reduce food wastage and contribute to more sustainable tourism development in Zanzibar.

Keywords: tourism hotels; food waste; sustainable practices; circular economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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