Ben Lephilibert: Ghost Expenses: The Financial Burden of Food Waste in Hotels

What if the food you're throwing away is also throwing away your profits?

In this eye-opening talk at the Future of Food Symposium, Benjamin Lephilibert—founder of LightBlue and self-proclaimed food waste hacker—dives deep into the hidden financial toll of food waste in the hospitality industry. With humor, hard numbers, and over a decade of global experience, Ben unpacks how unnoticed inefficiencies in hotel kitchens are silently draining hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

From buffet myths to black hole bins, and from pandemic pivots to shocking data gaps, Ben challenges hoteliers and asset owners alike to track, measure, and act. Learn how food waste costs can reach 6–14% of food revenue and what real-world solutions can flip losses into savings.

Want to understand how reducing waste isn’t just about sustainability—but about survival and profitability? This talk is for you.