Abstract

The hotel, restaurant, and resort sector of the hospitality industry is one of the leading generators of global
waste, including food waste, single-use plastics, and packaging materials. As environmental awareness and
regulatory forces build, sustainable waste management has become a business imperative for hospitality
companies. This research investigates the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in minimizing waste and
maximizing recycling in the hospitality industry. Employing a qualitative methodology founded on secondary
data, the paper investigates existing waste management issues, assesses AI-based solutions like smart bins,
predictive analytics, and inventory management systems, and determines their effect on operational
performance and environmental performance. The research finds that AI technologies can have a major
impact on reducing waste, decreasing operational costs, and enhancing sustainability goals. Yet, hindrances
like cost-prohibitive implementation, limited technical capacity, and concerns about data privacy discourage
wider adoption, especially by small and medium-sized organizations. The research ends with strategic
suggestions for bringing AI to hospitality wastage management systems and emphasizes the need for crossindustry collaboration, capability development, and policy enablement in facilitating sustainable change.