Food Waste Management Practices in the Restaurants of İzmir, Türkiye

This study investigates waste management practices in restaurant establishments in İzmir, Türkiye. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys conducted with managers of 200 establishments, including traditional restaurants, grill houses, café-restaurants, and seafood restaurants. The findings show that 21.0% of surveyed restaurants reported food waste and 28.5% reported water waste, with traditional restaurants leading to the highest levels of food wastage. Overall, 44% of surveyed restaurants indicated food product waste, particularly bread (47%) and beverages (18%). In terms of waste prevention, 17.5% of restaurants reported no waste reduction measures, while only 36% had agreements with licensed waste disposal companies; café-restaurants were the least engaged in such practices (94.7% without agreements). Among those who implemented strategies, 71% reduced portion sizes and 29% sold food by weight to decrease wastage. Seafood restaurants reported comparatively lower food waste but higher water waste. Although 47.5% of establishments did not actively manage waste oil, most (73%) disposed of it through licensed firms, likely due to regulatory and economic factors. Overall, the results reveal substantial variability in waste management practices across different restaurant types. Future studies should further examine the effectiveness of specific waste reduction measures and explore motivations and barriers for waste management initiatives among restaurant operators.