Breakout session - From Plate to Practice: Using Industry–Academia Partnerships to Build Sustainability Skills and Reduce Food Waste in Hospitality

Food waste remains one of the hospitality industry's most significant sustainability and productivity challenges. At the same time, tertiary educators are increasingly expected to provide graduates with practical sustainability competencies that extend beyond classroom learning. This presentation shares the findings of a Participatory Action Research project involving hospitality students and sixteen independent restaurants in Wellington, New Zealand. Through a structured industry–academia partnership, students worked alongside restaurant operators to identify food-waste challenges, collect operational data, co-design practical solutions, and evaluate outcomes. The project demonstrates how experiential learning can simultaneously enhance student learning, support industry partners, and contribute to sustainability goals. Findings show that students acted as catalysts for reflection and innovation, helping operators identify waste-generating practices and implement simple, low-cost interventions such as waste-tracking templates, inventory management tools, portion-control guides, and surplus food utilisation strategies. The session will discuss how hospitality educators can integrate authentic industry projects into curriculum design, strengthen graduate employability, and create meaningful partnerships with local businesses.