Food Waste Prevention for Businesses
Seattle Hotels: Join us for the Food Waste Prevention Collaborative
Seattle Public Utilities is launching a collaboration with up to ten hotels to rapidly test food waste prevention actions for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup games.
Participants will gain:
- Immediate operational benefits from reduced food and labor waste.
- Access to onsite waste measurement, free technical expertise, and change management support from Seattle Public Utilities and industry partners.
- A trusted forum to problem-solve with peers and share best practices.
- A stronger market position with sustainability-minded travelers and event planners, especially in the lead-up to FIFA 2026.
This will be customized to each hotel’s needs and participation is free of charge.
Deadline to inquire: September 30, 2025
Contact: Eraj Jayawickreme, Ambassador for the Food Waste Prevention Collaborative
Did you know?
The average kitchen wastes one month of labor each year preparing food that will eventually be thrown away. Prevent food waste by buying, preparing, and serving only what is needed!
Partner with Us
Receive FREE technical assistance to improve food waste prevention at your business. SPU offers a free, on-site consultation and ongoing technical assistance to help sales, service teams, and kitchen staff reduce food waste. Wherever you’re at in your food waste prevention journey, we can provide customized support to help you meet your goals. Contact us today! greenbusiness@seattle.gov (206) 343-8505
- Reduce Vessel Size: Serving condiments, sauces, and spreads in large containers leads to large volumes of waste. Reduce the vessel size and plan to replenish condiments during service if needed. Best Management Practice: Prep additional vessels and safely store them until they’re needed.
- Right-Size Servings: Consider the serving size and total amount of food per person. Portions of meat and seafood are often under-consumed and can be reduced. Best Management Practice: Plan for each guest to eat a maximum of 12-16 ounces total during an event.
- Plan Menus for Waste Prevention: Rethink menu offerings to repurpose and reduce surplus food. Yesterday’s unserved grilled chicken for sandwiches becomes today’s chicken salad. Best Management Practice: Strategically build weekly menus that repurpose surplus ingredients into staff meals and the next day’s dishes.
Partner with SPU to:
- Plan a site walkthrough: Assess your existing food waste prevention practices and identify opportunities.
- Conduct a food waste audit: Observe an event and collect food waste data via observation and photographs to help you identify and adopt quick qins and low-waste strategies.
- Receive free kitchen tools and resources: Get customizable back-of-house posters, labeling tools, and other equipment to assist staff with food waste prevention best practices
- Host a training for your staff: Host an SPU-led in-person staff training at your site to review new food waste prevention materials and practices, gather staff feedback, and strengthen their knowledge of food waste prevention strategies
- Pacific Coast Food Waste Collaborative
- Case Studies from the Food Manufacturing, Grocery, Retail Supply Chain, and Special Events sectors
- LeanPath
- Case Studies from the Healthcare, College and University, Hospitality, and Food and Beverage Management sectors
- U.S. Food Waste Pact
- Employee Engagement Toolkit to inspire, educate, and empower employees to take action against food loss and waste in their workplace
- Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC)
- Repurposing with a Purpose: Operational Toolkit shares best practices for reducing food waste through the creative practice of repurposing