OHIO — There are many parts to plan for a vacation, but one of them isn’t usually thought about: food.
Some people may eat out most of the time, but for others, they try to buy necessities at the grocery store.
Many Americans tend to over-buy food while staying at short-term rentals, like Airbnb, contributing to billions of dollars in food waste, according to a new Ohio State University study.
What You Need To Know
U.S. vacation renters tend to waste about $2 billion in food each year
The study found the amount of wasted food for each trip equaled about 5.1% of the rental fee each night
Some respondents expressed interest in composting options or ways to donate food if provided by the renter
U.S. vacation renters tend to waste about $2 billion in food each year, the study found.
Uneaten food in short-term lodging averages about $12 per night, which includes groceries, takeout and restaurant leftovers, according to the study. While it’s not known just how much food lands in the trash, that was the most common outcome reported in the study.
The study found that the amount of wasted food for each trip equaled about 5.1% of the rental fee each night.
“That amount is an eye-opener,” Brian Roe, professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics at The Ohio State University. “And if people just realize uneaten food amounts to a 5% surcharge, either they can make sure they’re ready to transport food home if they’re in a car or can get it into the right hands for donation or composting at their rental location.”
Here are some other statistics found in the study:
Travelers paid around $231 each night for lodging
Children were associated with a greater amount of uneaten food
80% of groups tend to eat one meal each day while in a short-term rental, and around 6.3% eat in for every meal
The $12 of food wasted each night consists on average of $7 in groceries and $5 in food
The most common unused foods were produce and pantry staples
Survey results showed 46% of hosts provider renters with options for recycling and over 20% provided instructions on what to do with uneaten food.
As for other solutions, travelers suggested they would be open to compost options or donating uneaten foods if rental hosts provided the information.
“There’s some interest among travelers to try to reduce their footprints, and this would be a way to do that,” Roe said.
The study, published recently in the journal Waste Management, was conducted by an online survey of 502 U.S. adults who had traveled in the past year using Airbnb, VRBO or other short-term rentals.