Hospitality sector to tackle packaging waste with industry event

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and UKHospitality will spearhead the sector’s efforts to tackle packaging waste with a sector-wide packaging event.

Unpack the Future of Hospitality will bring together hospitality businesses, suppliers, parliamentarians and other hospitality supporters to educate, inform and share best practice on reducing packaging waste.

The event will continue the efforts already undertaken by UKHospitality and the BII to raise awareness of packaging waste and will highlight positive work already being done by hospitality businesses.

The event on 10 May will be hosted by Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking at their offices in central London and co-sponsored by the Morning Advertiser and Sky Ocean Rescue.

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The government’s proposal for a deposit scheme highlights the need for a united front from the sector to tackle the problem of packaging waste and avoid additional costs for businesses. This event will be the next step in allowing the hospitality sector to unite to make a considerable contribution to cutting packaging waste.”

BII chief executive Mike Clist said: “Hospitality businesses have already begun to address the issue of packaging, but there is more the sector, along with wider industry and policy-makers, can do.

“There is clearly a considerable appetite among the public, consumers and businesses in the UK to address the problem of waste, particularly around plastic, and the time is right for the sector to tackle the issue collectively.”

The event follows a recent meeting between the BII, UKHospitality and the BBPA with Defra minister, Thérèse Coffey, at which the trade associations debated the idea of the event, each pledging their commitment to encouraging better operator and consumer practices.