Food waste is a problem in hospitals and aged care facilities, but there’s a solution

The report, titled Hospitals & Aged Care Food Waste Action Plan, investigated food waste in hospitals and aged care facilities at three levels – patients and residents, organisational and policy – and found the sectors could use their size to affect change.

“Hospitals and aged care facilities have large-scale, routine food operations, which gives them the power to influence suppliers, model best practice, and educate staff and patients, helping reduce food waste across the broader food service sector,” explains Dr Kate Sansome, from the Adelaide Business School at the University of Adelaide.

The report, which was funded by the University of Adelaide, the End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, and the Queensland Government, found institutions such as hospitals, aged care facilities, schools, and prisons generate approximately 251,000 tonnes of food waste annually in Australia, equivalent to more than 500,000 meals.

In aged care, around 3.5 kilograms of food per resident is wasted each week, costing up to $1,000 per facility weekly. In hospitals, about 30 per cent of food is left uneaten on plates with up to 50 per cent of hospital waste being food.

Dr Sansome’s mixed-methods study found food waste in hospitals and aged care settings is driven by a complex mix of factors.

“Our research has found that while food safety and nutrition guidelines are important, the interpretation of the guidelines results in unnecessary waste,” she says.

“There’s a culture of risk aversion, so staff may serve food even when it’s not wanted or throw away food that’s still safe, just to follow the rules. Many facilities also lack the infrastructure to collect and recycle food waste.”

At an organisational level, she says there are often limited staff, time, and funding to support waste reduction strategies.

“Meal orders are made well in advance of consumption. If a patient’s condition changes, the food often goes uneaten,” Dr Sansome says. “Standardised meals often don’t meet individual needs, and top-down initiatives often fail without staff buy-in or practical support.”

The report outlines a three-stage framework to support change. Stage one focuses on low-cost, low-effort interventions.

“Visual bin checks and conversations with patients or residents about uneaten food are simple, low-resource interventions that could reduce the amount of food wasted,” Dr Sansome explains.

“Over time, facilities can adopt more sophisticated methods, such as smart scales, camera bin tracking, and digital tools that integrate waste data with menu ordering systems. These can help adjust procurement and preparation based on waste trends and communicate environmental and financial impacts to leadership.”

Stage two involves better aligning food delivery with actual consumption. Electronic ordering and room-service models, where patients order meals when they are hungry, can reduce waste by up to 59 per cent. However, this requires upfront investment and attention to nutritional outcomes.

Stage three is celebrating success and building momentum.

“Sharing case studies, appointing food waste champions, and supporting staff-led initiatives can overcome resistance to change and embed sustainable practices across the sector,” Dr Sansome says.

“Leadership and peer learning will be crucial to achieving a lasting impact.”

Much of the existing research on food waste has focused on individual levels such as households, kitchen staff or consumers. The new research highlights that the issue must be addressed by looking at larger systems of food preparation and delivery.

“We see a clear need for a coordinated, system-level approach that examines root causes across policy, organisations, staff, and patients or residents,” she says.

“Reducing food waste in hospitals and aged care will require collective, connected action to create lasting, practical change across the sector.”

Food waste has significant environmental, economic, and social costs, particularly in hospitals and aged care. Unconsumed food in these settings is also linked to malnutrition, which can increase infection risk, prolong hospital stays, and worsen health outcomes.

On a societal level, food waste is particularly troubling given that 3.7 million Australian households experienced food insecurity last year which is more than the number of households in Sydney and Melbourne combined.

Environmentally, food waste contributes up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than aviation, plastic production and oil extraction combined. In Australia, an area the size of Victoria is used to grow food that ultimately ends up in the bin.

Dr Sansome says future research is needed to explore behavioural change strategies and evaluate different food service systems for waste reduction.