Environment and sustainability and Risk & Compliance / Sofía Lazcano /
The new European directive on waste reinforces the obligations to prevent food waste in hotels and restaurants
The obligations in terms of food waste management are expanded, which will require a review of the internal procedures for handling, distribution and consumption of food in hotels, restaurants and catering.
On September 26th, Directive (EU) 2025/1892 of the European Parliament and of the Council of September 10th amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The new regulation, which will come into force on October 16th, responds to the requirements of the European Green Deal and the New Action Plan for the Circular Economy, with the aim of guaranteeing the environmental sustainability of the sectors with the greatest use of resources. Among them is the food sector, considered by the directive as a sector capable of generating significant negative repercussions on the environment. Member States must transpose their laws, regulations and administrative provisions by June 17th 2027, introducing specific measures that promote the prevention of food waste throughout the value chain, expressly including restaurants, hotels and collective catering services.
