Each year, Aotearoa’s cafes and restaurants generate nearly 25,000 tonnes of food waste, with 61% of it entirely avoidable (based on previous industry research).
When food ends up in landfill, it’s not just an environmental loss—it’s a missed opportunity to enhance sustainability within the hospitality industry and boost financial outcomes for operators.
To tackle this pressing issue and and generate actionable data across the industry, the Restaurant Association in conjunction with Edge Impact launched the Kai Keepers pilot, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming food waste practices across cafes and restaurants in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty.
Funded by New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment, Kai Keepers empowers operators to reduce food waste, helping businesses achieve their sustainability goals while also unlocking significant financial savings.
Ultimately, this initiative strengthens the entire industry’s commitment to sustainable practices. This data provided a starting point for the Kai Keepers initiative, which aims to refine these figures and drive impactful change.