Vacationing Americans waste more than $2.3 billion of food each year according to a new study from Ohio State University published in the journal Waste Management.
On average, the value of food wasted per trip equated to about 5.1% of the nightly rental fee of a short-term peer-to-peer rental accommodation, according to the report.
Lead author Brian Roe, a professor in the department of agricultural, environmental and development economics at Ohio State University, noted that this uneaten food equates to a 5% additional lodging tax “through the money they spend on food that they never eat while they’re in the Airbnb.”
Data came from an online survey of 502 US adults who had traveled in the past year reporting on their most recent trip using an Airbnb, VRBO or other short-term rental platforms.
Among the researchers’ other findings were:
- Ninety percent of vacationers bought groceries during their stay, spending an average of $34.40 per day.
- Ready-to-eat items made up the largest proportion of groceries by volume (37%), followed by produce (22%), and staples (21%)
- Staples and produce made up the largest portion of uneaten food on average.
- On average, food waste increased with the unit’s rental price and the number of kids in the travel party.
- Most respondents would find information about how to donate or compost uneaten food at the end of a stay and how to save on groceries during travel to be helpful.
- Just 21% of hosts currently provide such information.
The report highlights a potential opportunity for short-term rental hosts when it comes to helping reduce the impact of uneaten food.
More than 40% of survey respondents said they were “very interested” in getting information on donating uneaten items at the end of their stay—a significant jump from the 2% of vacationers that currently donate their uneaten food.
“This suggests the potential for hosts to provide information or other interventions that can both save their guests money by purchasing less food that goes uneaten and by generating less organic waste that causes unwanted environmental and logistical problems for localities,” notes the report.
For example, property hosts might provide vacationers with information on donating and composting unused food, information obtainable through local and regional short-term rental host associations.
“These informational inserts could be placed adjacent to information that hosts provide about waste and recycling,” notes the report. Vacationers with cars might consider simply taking their food home.
Online, the platforms themselves might consider flagging those hosts providing information about food waste as “sustainable hosts.”
“It seems that there is a segment of travelers who are willing to take a step on this front if provided an easy step (e.g., put donatable food in a box or put in a particular bag to be composted),” lead author Brian Roe told AgFunderNews.
However, he added that “hosts would have to see this as a valued attribute of their guests’ experience, maybe to the point where they can gain a certification that might result in a slightly higher occupancy rate or even higher rental charge.”
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