How do waste systems differ in Europe, Asia and North America – and what does this mean for international hotels?

Waste and recycling systems vary widely across the globe, so hotel strategies must be locally adapted.

• Europe: Strict legal targets, deposit systems, extended producer responsibility (EPR). Still, sorted waste is often exported.
• Asia: Wide range – from high-tech in Japan to no infrastructure in parts of Southeast Asia.
• North America: Less regulation, recycling often market-driven, high contamination rates in single-stream systems.

Hotel strategy:

• Globally valid: 1. Waste prevention (no single-use), 2. Reuse (refillables, deposit systems).

Local adaptation: Make recycling a core strategy only where functioning infrastructure is proven