30/04/26
Hospitality Losing Money on Waste; Biffa, Veolia and Operators Align to Fix System
Zero Carbon Forum, Biffa and Veolia team up to address a widely recognised but unresolved issue: waste management is still treated as a basic service when it should be a tool for reducing costs and inefficiency
The true cost of wasted materials averages 10 times the cost of disposal, and food waste costs the hospitality and food service sector £3.2 billion every year – an average of £10k per outlet, per year (WRAP)
As the UK hospitality industry braces for further costs from Extended Producer Responsibility and Deposit Return Schemes, a new toolkit has been designed to help hospitality operators move the conversation away from price and collections, towards performance, cost savings and long-term value
Hospitality and brewing businesses across the UK are missing opportunities to reduce waste and cut costs, and risk falling behind on new waste rules, industry leaders have warned.
Zero Carbon Forum has brought together Biffa and Veolia to tackle a widely recognised but unresolved issue: waste management is still treated like a basic service, when it could be helping businesses save money.
Waste remains one of the most overlooked costs in hospitality. The true cost of wasted materials averages 10 times the cost of disposal, and food waste costs the sector £3.2 billion every year, an average of £10k per outlet (WRAP).
Operators are not always able to take full advantage of the waste services available to them. Many do not know what to ask for, what good looks like, or where to focus their efforts.
As a result, opportunities to cut costs, reduce waste and improve recycling are often missed. At the same time, waste providers have expertise, from bin audits to on-site support and recycling solutions, that is not always fully used.
With no clear or consistent way to unlock this value, both sides fall short of what is possible just as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, including measures such as Extended Producer Responsibility and the Deposit Return Scheme, which have the potential to increase pressure on costs and performance.
In response, Zero Carbon Forum, Biffa and Veolia have worked with hospitality operators to create a simple, practical way to raise the standard of how waste is managed.
The Waste Management Provider Actions is a shared set of questions that operators can use with their waste providers, whether they are going out to tender, starting a new contract or reviewing performance.
This toolkit is designed to use consistent language and change the conversation, moving it away from price and collections and towards performance, shared sustainability objectives and long-term value.
Used consistently, the aim is for it to help businesses gain better visibility of their waste, improve how it is managed on site, and build stronger, more accountable relationships with suppliers.
That, in turn, could reduce unnecessary spend, improve recycling outcomes and make it easier to meet growing regulatory and reporting expectations.
Given the scale of the opportunity, even small improvements could help to unlock meaningful savings, stronger brand credentials and greater operational resilience.
These improvements depend on better alignment between operators and providers, which this toolkit is designed to support.
The Waste Management Provider Actions is now available to hospitality operators looking to cut unnecessary costs, strengthen operational resilience and get ahead of new regulation.
“Too many hospitality and brewing businesses are paying more than they need to for waste and not getting the support they should in return. At the same time, regulation is tightening and expectations are rising. This is about fixing that gap. By bringing our hospitality members together with Biffa and Veolia, we’ve created a simple way to have better conversations, get more value from suppliers, and start cutting both waste and costs.” Mark Chapman, CEO and Founder of Zero Carbon Forum.
“It is paramount to engage your suppliers to drive sustainability practices. Some of our greatest projects have only been possible thanks to our suppliers. This toolkit gives operators the structure to have those conversations with confidence.” Alex Rollinson, Energy & Waste Co-ordinator, Marston’s
“At Veolia, we believe these standardised questions create a powerful foundation for partnership between hospitality operators and waste providers. When both parties speak the same language, we transform waste management from a transactional service into a strategic collaboration that supports clients’ journey toward circularity and their broader ESG commitments.” Tim Healey, Strategic Engagement Lead, Veolia
“It’s really inspiring to see the hospitality sector collaborate with suppliers to align on best practice. Working in partnership to gain clarity on what’s important to all stakeholders is imperative to enable us all to move forwards with purpose.” Tom Smith, Account Director, Biffa
30/04/26
Hospitality Losing Money on Waste; Biffa, Veolia and Operators Align to Fix System
Zero Carbon Forum, Biffa and Veolia team up to address a widely recognised but unresolved issue: waste management is still treated as a basic service when it should be a tool for reducing costs and inefficiency
The true cost of wasted materials averages 10 times the cost of disposal, and food waste costs the hospitality and food service sector £3.2 billion every year – an average of £10k per outlet, per year (WRAP)
As the UK hospitality industry braces for further costs from Extended Producer Responsibility and Deposit Return Schemes, a new toolkit has been designed to help hospitality operators move the conversation away from price and collections, towards performance, cost savings and long-term value
Hospitality and brewing businesses across the UK are missing opportunities to reduce waste and cut costs, and risk falling behind on new waste rules, industry leaders have warned.
Zero Carbon Forum has brought together Biffa and Veolia to tackle a widely recognised but unresolved issue: waste management is still treated like a basic service, when it could be helping businesses save money.
Waste remains one of the most overlooked costs in hospitality. The true cost of wasted materials averages 10 times the cost of disposal, and food waste costs the sector £3.2 billion every year, an average of £10k per outlet (WRAP).
Operators are not always able to take full advantage of the waste services available to them. Many do not know what to ask for, what good looks like, or where to focus their efforts.
As a result, opportunities to cut costs, reduce waste and improve recycling are often missed. At the same time, waste providers have expertise, from bin audits to on-site support and recycling solutions, that is not always fully used.
With no clear or consistent way to unlock this value, both sides fall short of what is possible just as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, including measures such as Extended Producer Responsibility and the Deposit Return Scheme, which have the potential to increase pressure on costs and performance.
In response, Zero Carbon Forum, Biffa and Veolia have worked with hospitality operators to create a simple, practical way to raise the standard of how waste is managed.
The Waste Management Provider Actions is a shared set of questions that operators can use with their waste providers, whether they are going out to tender, starting a new contract or reviewing performance.
This toolkit is designed to use consistent language and change the conversation, moving it away from price and collections and towards performance, shared sustainability objectives and long-term value.
Used consistently, the aim is for it to help businesses gain better visibility of their waste, improve how it is managed on site, and build stronger, more accountable relationships with suppliers.
That, in turn, could reduce unnecessary spend, improve recycling outcomes and make it easier to meet growing regulatory and reporting expectations.
Given the scale of the opportunity, even small improvements could help to unlock meaningful savings, stronger brand credentials and greater operational resilience.
These improvements depend on better alignment between operators and providers, which this toolkit is designed to support.
The Waste Management Provider Actions is now available to hospitality operators looking to cut unnecessary costs, strengthen operational resilience and get ahead of new regulation.
“Too many hospitality and brewing businesses are paying more than they need to for waste and not getting the support they should in return. At the same time, regulation is tightening and expectations are rising. This is about fixing that gap. By bringing our hospitality members together with Biffa and Veolia, we’ve created a simple way to have better conversations, get more value from suppliers, and start cutting both waste and costs.” Mark Chapman, CEO and Founder of Zero Carbon Forum.
“It is paramount to engage your suppliers to drive sustainability practices. Some of our greatest projects have only been possible thanks to our suppliers. This toolkit gives operators the structure to have those conversations with confidence.” Alex Rollinson, Energy & Waste Co-ordinator, Marston’s
“At Veolia, we believe these standardised questions create a powerful foundation for partnership between hospitality operators and waste providers. When both parties speak the same language, we transform waste management from a transactional service into a strategic collaboration that supports clients’ journey toward circularity and their broader ESG commitments.” Tim Healey, Strategic Engagement Lead, Veolia
“It’s really inspiring to see the hospitality sector collaborate with suppliers to align on best practice. Working in partnership to gain clarity on what’s important to all stakeholders is imperative to enable us all to move forwards with purpose.” Tom Smith, Account Director, Biffa