New plan aims to divert hospitality’s food waste
from landfill
Monday, 5 January 2026
A new initiative aims to slash the city’s hospitality food waste, part of the 20,000 tonnes wasted by cafes and restaurants nationwide each year, by giving them the tools to recycle and reuse leftovers.
Hospitality NZ wants $19,450 from Wellington City Council to put in place a plan to divert 100 tonnes of hospo waste from the city’s eateries.
Food waste has long been an issue in the hospitality scene. Our cafes and restaurants throw away 24,372 tonnes of food annually, a study by wasteMINZ found in 2017.
Of the waste, 60% was waste created while cooking, 33% was leftover food on plates, and 7% was from food spoilage.
Read More
This proposed project will tackle “high generators” of food waste by reducing and reusing where possible, while making large-scale organic waste solutions affordable for businesses.
The project claims to have the potential to divert 100 tonnes of food waste. Currently, food and garden waste make up more than half of Wellingtonians’ landfill rubbish. The capital does not have kerbside collection for food waste.
Neither Wellington City Council nor Hospitality NZ were able to comment on the proposal that is still under consideration, but The Post spoke with several kai rescue and hospitality organisations around Wellington to see if the idea was a good fit for the city.
Liam Prince and Alex Hawkins both work for Kaicycle: a waste-minimisation initiative that transforms food waste into compost.
Tucked off Adelaide Rd in the shadow of Government House, Kaicycle’s garden is a small oasis ‒ a place where food waste becomes compost, then becomes vegetables, then becomes food.
Most Wellingtonians have seen Kaicycle’s workers in action, zipping around the city on ebikes with trailers attached to the back filled with compostable materials.
Kaicycle’s members can either have their food waste collected via ecycle, or they can dispose of it themselves at Kaicycle’s drop off points around the city.
Prince, who is the organisation’s compost manager, said the business worked with more than 200 households and businesses around Wellington, collecting food waste for a small fee.
Kaicycle collects 700 to 800 kg of food waste a week, he said. The waste has to be without meat or dairy.
While Kaicycle mostly worked with smaller businesses, they had a few hospitality outlets on the roster, Prince said .
“We've got some really awesome, committed cafes and staff who contribute to us. But there's obviously lots and lots of waste going to landfill - not just from hospitality, but from all sorts of businesses and households.”
The food waste goes into a large compost bin, with the pile needing to be turned every few weeks to be aerated and watered.
After a three to four month process, the pile starts to transform into black, beautiful compost, Prince said. Kaicycle makes over 20,000 litres of compost a year.
“We donate a lot to community gardens and school gardens.”
While there were a few food waste disposal providers that worked with large hospitality outlets, the cultural change around food waste would need to start in hospitality’s kitchens, Prince said.
If staff had good systems set up that reduced food waste, it would be economical and efficient for everyone, he believed.
“Another thing that I think needs to happen, and it is happening slowly but needs to happen faster, is the government and council needs to keep raising the cost of landfill. It then makes [diverting food waste] more economically viable.”
Hawkins added that part of the process of reducing food waste was encouraging people to reduce it in their kitchens, whether through up-cycling, or donating extra food to kai rescue organisations.
Havana and Fidel’s owner Roger Young said the concept of a food waste removal system for Wellington’s hospitality scene sounded good.
“Every business in Wellington would really appreciate that.”
Currently, the business paid to have its food waste composted, he said. Havana produced 20 to 30 kg of food waste a week, he believed, although he was uncertain of the exact amount.
The food waste was mostly coffee grinds and natural food waste, he said.
Darrell of Organic Waste Management said since the pandemic, he had noticed a reduction in food waste.
Some cafes needing their food waste picked up only three times a week, compared with every day previously - potentially due to fewer customers and people working from home.
“Instead of making lots and lots of scones or muffins, they're making just enough. And when they sell out, they sell out. It’s been quite a reduction from some of the cafes.”