A new study from Ohio State University unveils that U.S. vacation renters waste an astounding $2 billion in food annually. Researchers suggest solutions to reduce this waste, including composting and food donation information from rental hosts.
Vacationing in the United States might seem pricey, but a recent study highlights an unexpected factor adding to the expense: food waste. Researchers at The Ohio State University have determined that U.S. vacation renters collectively waste approximately $2 billion worth of food every year.
The study found that groceries, takeout and restaurant leftovers valued at an average of $12 per night remain unconsumed by travelers, with much of this food ending up in the trash. This equates to about 5.1% of the nightly rental fee, a proportion comparable to local lodging taxes.
“The 5% figure is probably similar to tax rates on lodging in particular localities,” lead author Brian Roe, a professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics at Ohio State, said in a news release. “So people are basically paying an additional lodging tax through the money they spend on food that they never eat while they’re in the Airbnb.”
Though the study mainly focused on vacationers, the implications are vast.
Data derived from a survey of 502 U.S. adults who had stayed in short-term rentals, such as Airbnb or VRBO, over the past year showed that nearly all respondents were traveling for leisure, with only 3% on business trips.
The financial weight of this waste is eye-opening.
The researchers project an annual food waste bill of up to $2.3 billion within the short-term rental market. Product categories most commonly wasted include groceries and restaurant leftovers, particularly produce and pantry staples.
Roe highlighted potential ways to mitigate this issue, emphasizing that travelers would appreciate guidance from hosts on how to donate leftover food or compost it.
“There’s some interest among travelers to try to reduce their footprints, and this would be a way to do that,” he said.
Interestingly, the study revealed that each child present on a trip is associated with greater food waste by the end of the stay.
Additionally, 80% of travel groups reportedly eat at least one meal per day in their short-term rental, with spending on groceries averaging $34 per day.
Notably, the study found that almost half of the respondents admitted to wasting more food while traveling than they do at home.
Despite this, the analysis indicated that results would improve with better guidance from rental hosts. According to the data, 46% of hosts provided recycling options, and over 20% supplied instructions for handling uneaten food. About 75% of respondents expressed that they would find it helpful if hosts offered information on donating or composting unused food.
“Given what we saw from consumers, there seemed to be interest in understanding if food could be donated or composted, and if so, how and where,” Roe added. “One can imagine this as a simple addition to a host’s information booklet — probably a very doable implementation. And if that knocked that $2 billion number down to $1.5 billion, that’s half a billion dollars less each year of wasted food.”
This study, recently published in the journal Waste Management, underscores the significant impact of food waste in the tourism industry. The findings suggest straightforward measures that can be implemented to make a considerable difference.
Source: The Ohio State University