Sustainable food waste management strategies by applying practice theory in hospitality and food services- a systematic literature review

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 advocates for the reduction of food waste (FW) and food loss (FL) along supply chains to achieve sustainability by 2030, especially at the retail and consumption levels. This study seeks to systematically analyse sustainable food waste management (FWM) strategies within the hospitality and food services (HaFS) sector by adopting the Social Practice Theory (SPT), which no previous study has attempted since the creation of the SDGs. According to the framework of SPT, practices comprised of interconnected components namely, materials, meanings and competencies. This analysis shows that extensive research has been conducted on the materials (technologies) compared with meaning (activities) and competence (knowledge). Therefore, future studies and policy frameworks should consider exploring practices around reducing kitchen waste (meanings) and managerial knowledge (competences); and the interaction of these elements with a practice-oriented approach.

Automated summary

This study aims to analyze sustainable food waste management strategies within the hospitality and food services sector by adopting Social Practice Theory. The analysis reveals that research has primarily focused on technological aspects, with limited attention given to activities and managerial knowledge. Future studies and policies should consider exploring practices related to reducing kitchen waste and enhancing managerial knowledge, using a practice-oriented approach.