Vacation Renters Waste $2 billion in Food A Year

According to Ohio State University research, vacation rentals in the United States throw away $12 worth of food every night, totaling $2.3 billion wasted groceries and leftovers.

Food waste accounts for about 5% of nighttime rental fees, equivalent to additional accommodation taxes paid through abandoned meals.

The study surveyed 502 travelers using Airbnb, VRBO and similar platforms, revealing that the main content of products and pantry is the most common list of items. More than 80% of vacation groups prepare at least one meal a day, spending an average of $34 a day on groceries per day.

Hidden costs of holiday cooking

“The 5% figure may be similar to the tax rate for accommodation in a particular area,” said Ohio State University professor in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Development Economics. “So, people are basically paying additional accommodation taxes through the money they spend on food they never eat in Airbnb.”

Waste breaks the waste into $7 groceries and $5 restaurant leftovers each night. Families with children generate more waste, and every other child is associated with a higher food disposal rate. Travelers under 25 also waste more food than age groups.

Where food goes wrong

This study reveals a systematic pattern of vacation food waste. Nearly 47% of travelers admit that they waste more food on their trip than they do at home, while only 21% say their household waste exceeds vacation waste. The most problematic items include quickly destroyed produce, and the pantry’s staples are too large to stay for a short time.

Key findings about vacation food waste

• Average waste equals $12 per night for all rental types
• The highest percentage of waste in agricultural products and pantry
• Families with children waste much more food than those with only adults
• Only 21% of owners provide guidance on handling leftover food
• Three quarters of travelers want information about donating or composting unfooded food

What happens to all these unedible foods? The study found that throwing away food was the most common result, with 37% of travelers reporting. About 30% bring food home, while 22% of items leave the rental unit with the cleaning staff. Despite high interest in learning methods, only 2% of food donated food.

Regional and seasonal patterns

One detail not highlighted in the press release: the spike in waste from January to March, when travelers generate much more food waste than other seasons. The researchers also found that more expensive rents were associated with higher food waste values, possibly reflecting the food market for wealthier travelers and higher-priced destinations.

The study used post hoc statistical weighting to ensure that the sample reflects national travel patterns and utilized data from the 2022 National Family Travel Survey. The limitation that researchers must stop enrolling when they reach the goal of 502 participants in six years rather than the 136-year-old, a limitation highlights the challenges of studying this emerging tourism industry.

Solution

The gap between current hosting practices and traveler preferences shows room for improvement. While nearly 47% of hosts provide recycling information, only 21% provide guidance on food disposal. However, 74% of travelers expressed interest in donation information, while 69% wanted compost guidance.

“There is a certain interest among travelers trying to reduce their own footprints, which would be a way to do this,” Roe notes. He envisions simple additions to host an information brochure with location-specific donation and compost options.

This study helps understand the environmental impact of tourism, as short-term rentals account for 15% of the U.S. accommodation market. As vacation rentals become more popular, the $2.3 billion annual food waste represents a previously untracked component of the travel environment footprint.

“If that reduces that $2 billion to $1.5 billion, it’s a billion dollars in food wasted every year,” Roy concluded.

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