Solid Waste Management for the Hotel Industry: Status, Challenges, and Recycling Potential

Abstract

In recent years, the exponential population growth, high density of urban areas, diverse culture, changing food habits, and lifestyles have seen an unresolved problem in terms of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in India. Solid waste generation and disposal is one of the most negative impacts of hotels on the environment. Hospitality industries often pay little attention to their environmental responsibilities. Solid waste is a key concern in the hospitality industry. Typically, a hotel guest can produce 1 kg of waste per day which accumulates to thousands of tons of waste annually. Many hotel operators have very little interest in reducing and/or recycling waste, believing that such activities are too expensive and time-consuming. The main objective of this study is to explore the types of solid waste management from hotels and present typical practices for waste prevention/minimization at source.