Food waste contributes 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That's more than aviation, and roughly equal to road transportation in many countries.
When you throw away food, you're not just wasting the item itself. You're wasting all the resources that went into producing it: the land cleared for farming, the water used for irrigation, the energy for processing and transport, the refrigeration to keep it fresh. Then, when food decomposes in landfill, it releases methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2.
The Numbers Are Staggering
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization:
- 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year
- 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions result from this waste
- If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter after the US and China
For hospitality specifically, the picture is concerning. Commercial kitchens waste significantly more per meal than home cooking, and the sector's growth means the problem is scaling.
Breaking Down the Impact
Different foods have vastly different environmental footprints:
| Food Type | kg CO2e per kg wasted |
|---|---|
| Beef | 27-60 |
| Lamb | 24-39 |
| Cheese | 13-21 |
| Pork | 7-12 |
| Poultry | 6-9 |
| Fish | 5-13 |
| Vegetables | 0.5-2 |
| Grains | 1-3 |
This means waste composition matters enormously for environmental impact. A kitchen that wastes 100kg of vegetables has a fraction of the impact of one wasting 100kg of beef.
Beyond Carbon: Water and Land
Climate impact gets the most attention, but food waste has other environmental consequences:
Water footprint: Agriculture uses 70% of global freshwater. When food is wasted, so is all the water used to produce it. A single wasted beef steak represents roughly 7,000 litres of embedded water.
Land use: Food production drives 80% of global deforestation. Wasted food means land was cleared unnecessarily.
Biodiversity: Agricultural expansion for food we don't eat destroys habitats and reduces biodiversity.
The Hospitality Sector's Responsibility
Hospitality accounts for roughly 12% of food service sector emissions in developed countries, with food waste a significant contributor. As corporate sustainability reporting becomes mandatory and consumer expectations shift, managing this impact is increasingly a business necessity.
ESG-conscious clients and customers are asking questions:
- What's your Scope 3 emissions footprint?
- How do you track and reduce food waste?
- What sustainability certifications do you hold?
Operations that can demonstrate strong waste management have competitive advantage in tenders and customer acquisition.
From Understanding to Action
Knowing the problem is step one. Tracking your specific impact enables targeted action:
- Measure waste by category — Understanding what you waste reveals where environmental impact is concentrated
- Prioritise high-impact items — Reducing beef waste has 30x the impact of reducing vegetable waste
- Calculate your footprint — Convert waste data to CO2e for sustainability reporting
- Set science-based targets — Align with SDG 12.3 (halve food waste by 2030)
Explore our environmental impact tools to calculate your kitchen's footprint, or get an environmental report for your operation.