Food rescue organizations are urging the hotel industry in Toronto to adopt stronger measures to address food waste, citing concerns about hunger and environmental impacts, reports Global News.
According to Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue charity, roughly 7 per cent of avoidable food waste occurs in hotels, restaurants and institutions. That represents about 1.4 million metric tonnes of food every year. Many hotels continue to rely on outdated food-management practices, while logistical challenges limit opportunities to redistribute surplus meals.
Photo by Ella Olsson.
A former hotel events worker told Global News that, before the pandemic, it was common for leftover food to be stored and reused. That has since changed. “A few years ago, staff would be able to store leftover food after events in the cafeteria but recently this has changed. Now we are required to toss out everything,” she explains. “There is so much leftover food that [it] all gets wasted. It’s thousands of pounds … every month.”
Food rescue operators say solutions exist, including reducing buffet portion sizes, repurposing leftovers internally, and donating untouched food to local organizations. They argue these approaches can help cut costs while supporting communities in need.
A spokesperson for a Toronto food-upcycling company told Global News the challenge comes down to leadership: “If there is management will, there are solutions that already exist to feed people instead of throwing it out.”
Ontario’s Donation of Food Act protects businesses from liability when donating food in good faith, but some in the industry still cite liability and logistical barriers.
Some properties are already working with Second Harvest, repurposing surplus food into new dishes, composting organic waste, and offering extra food to staff. But many hotels lack sustainability or food-redistribution teams, and time pressures often result in leftovers being discarded.
“Most food is cooked in stainless steel hotel pans and once that food service is complete, all that surplus food goes back into the kitchen and is simply discarded,” says one logistics platform operator.
Food-rescue advocates warn that without systemic policies across the sector, the gap between surplus food and unmet community needs will persist, alongside environmental harm.
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