The most important meal of the day is also likely the most wasteful thing you’ll eat on holiday. Something clearly has to change.
All-you-can-eat warmers filled with various types of eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes, and beans. A small army of pastries and muffins lined up perfectly, waiting to be picked. An entire area dedicated to toast. The four juice option minimum and self-serve espressos.
Along with silk wallpaper, the freestanding bath and separate rainforest shower, your choice of pillow stuffing and a swim-out infinity pool, the real sign of hotel luxury is often considered an a la carte breakfast. Nevertheless, for many it’s the buffet that really gets their early morning juices going. There’s just something about the opportunity to compile the most mind-blowing and extensive combination of food stuffs to start your day that comes with universal appeal. But things might be about to change.
According to new research by waste specialist Bins.co.uk, between 12 and 18% of all food purchased in a hotel is thrown away. But when it comes to buffet options, that figure leaps to anything from 10 to 35%. If you’re sticking in the UK this year, in 2026 staycations will lead to a combined 5.7 million wasted meals by Christmas. Which equates to 1,140 tonnes of food, and 3,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
Meanwhile, anyone heading from the UK to an overseas destination for an all-inclusive trip will contribute to 53.5 million wasted meals, 10,700 tonnes of food and 32,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Overall, the total food waste impact of all British holidays this year is equivalent to more than 20,000 homes.
‘Hotel buffets can be appealing to both hotels and holidaymakers, they offer a wealth of choice for travellers and reduce pressure on staffing for hotels. However, many don’t realise the sheer scale of waste created by this food option. When you consider a typical all-inclusive holiday which offers buffet options three times a day, this rapidly stacks up,’ said Mark Hall, food waste expert at Bins.co.uk
‘Where it’s not viable for hotels to swap to a la carte or guests to opt for made to order, we really need to consider what extra steps we can take to reduce overproduction and overconsumption without reducing experience. There are a few simple behavioural swaps on both sides that can mean less food is wasted,’ he continued. ‘We wanted to calculate these numbers to show the sheer scale of wastage and hopefully encourage better practice.’
Earlier this year, Environment Journal reported on a the hidden microplastic pollution being traced back to hotel and cruise ship laundry services.
Image: Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
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