Waste not, want not: Managerial attitudes towards mitigating food waste in the Swiss-German restaurant industry

Abstract

This paper examines managerial perceptions of challenges for further food waste reduction within the restaurant industry. Although research gauged underlying drivers for food waste, the attitudes of foodservice managers toward practices and the corresponding operational barriers have received scant academic attention. This qualitative study thematically analyzed data from 14 managers and head chefs in Swiss-German restaurants through semi-structured interviews and compared responses against the model of the food waste hierarchy. For businesses, the paper highlights the importance of increased preventive practices and education of staff and customers. However, multiple inhibiting and enabling factors lie outside the organizations’ control, depending on macro and societal contexts. Governmental interventions and facilitating waste collection are necessary, whereas the feasibility of food redistribution is perceived as limited. The study revealed great potential to implement additional practices through increased collaborations with various stakeholders and overall societal sensitization to change consumer behavior and facilitate responsible business practices.