Adopting food waste reduction strategies in the hospitality sector of Amsterdam

Abstract

In the hospitality sector, food waste remains a persistent challenge, despite the growing availability of strategies to reduce it. So, rather than being solely a matter of available solutions, the adoption of these strategies is also shaped by the organisational and systemic context in which hospitality businesses operate. This research investigates to what extent independent hospitality businesses in Amsterdam have adopted food waste reduction strategies and what factors influence their integration into everyday practices. The Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and absorptive capacity theory are combined to examine how food waste reduction strategies, approached as niches, interact with wider system dynamics and organisational capacity to implement change. A qualitative approach was used, which consisted of a document analysis and 13 semi-structured interviews with representatives of independent hospitality businesses. Four categories of niche strategies were identified: managerial practices, behavioural changes, technological services, and social networks. The results further show that adoption remains uneven, with internally driven strategies more widely embedded in everyday operations than externally oriented ones. Furthermore, financial pressures encouraged more cost-conscious behaviour, which also reduced waste, while existing routines, supplier relationships, food safety requirements, and limited infrastructure constrained further change. Although operators possessed a general awareness about certain strategies, practical barriers such as effort and cost involved, as well as established routines and attitudes towards food waste, often made it difficult to implement these strategies. In addition, a wasteaware organisational culture and active individuals within businesses generally supported further food waste reduction. The findings indicate that reducing food waste is not only a matter of developing effective strategies, but also of understanding how these strategies are absorbed into existing organisational and sectoral structures. For Amsterdam, this research provides insight into where sustainability initiatives are successfully integrated into hospitality practices and where further support may be needed to enable broader adoption.