Vacation renters throw out $2 billion worth of food each year

LOS ANGELES - If you’ve ever left behind half a loaf of bread or unopened yogurt in your Airbnb fridge, you’re not alone. A recent study published in the journal Waste Management found that travelers leave an average of $12 in uneaten food per night during their stay—roughly 5% of their nightly lodging cost.

That may not sound like much, but multiplied across millions of stays, it adds up to more than $2 billion annually in wasted groceries, takeout, and leftovers.

"People are basically paying an additional lodging tax through the money they spend on food that they never eat," said lead author Brian Roe, a professor at The Ohio State University.

The researchers surveyed 502 U.S. adults about their most recent stay in an Airbnb, VRBO or similar short-term rental. Nearly all were on vacation rather than business travel. Respondents reported what they bought, cooked, and ultimately threw away—or left behind.

What are people wasting—and why?

By the numbers:

The biggest culprits were fresh produce and pantry staples, which often don’t get fully used before check-out day. The study broke down the average $12 of wasted food per night as follows:

• $7 in unused groceries
• $5 in leftovers or takeout

The presence of children was also linked to more uneaten food. And while 80% of groups ate at least one meal a day at the rental, only about 6% cooked every meal.

Nearly half of respondents said they waste more food while traveling than at home.

A simple fix: Give guests guidance

What you can do:

The study also found that renters would be receptive to more support from their hosts:

• 46% of hosts offered recycling
• Over 20% provided info about food disposal
• 75% of guests said they’d welcome instructions on how to donate or compost uneaten food

"One can imagine this as a simple addition to a host’s information booklet," Roe said. "And if that knocked that $2 billion number down to $1.5 billion, that’s half a billion dollars less each year of wasted food."

Why you should care:

Beyond the cost, food waste has environmental consequences. Uneaten food contributes to methane emissions in landfills and wastes the resources used to grow, ship, and store it.

The findings offer an unusual look at tourist behavior—and an opportunity for both renters and hosts to waste less.

"There are lots of estimates of how much tourists impact local economies," Roe added. "But this is one of the first documentations of how much people spend per day on groceries in an Airbnb."