Waste Management in Five Star Hotels: A Case Study of Delhi NCR

Hotels, also called “home away from home,” are an integral part of the tourism industry, where services are mostly intangible in nature. Most of the time, some challenges that are tangible in nature are neglected by the management knowingly or unknowingly. Some of the challenges that hotels face today are waste management, degradation of the environment, and lack of following green practices. On average, hotels contribute almost 35 to 40 percent of total municipal waste in a city. Disposal of waste in any form is a major issue not only in India but throughout the world. As a result, due to improper waste disposal, the emission of greenhouse gases degrades the environment. Particularly in India, the hotel industry is growing at a rate of 20 percent every year, and this rate is increasing steadily year by year. Since hotels produce both biodegradable & non-biodegradable wastes, attention is required for their proper disposal towards achieving sustainability practices, minimum environmental pollution, and also profitability. This paper mainly focuses on improper waste disposal management systems followed in selected five-star hotels of Delhi NCR. The study highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) can help with these problems. AI technologies can optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and improve environmental stewardship. Examples of these technologies include automated waste sorting, smart energy systems, and predictive analytics for inventory and waste management. Hotels may improve waste management, promote sustainability, and boost profitability by implementing AI-driven solutions.