Current status of food waste generation and management in China

Food waste from the food service and hospitality industry is increasing, especially in Mezze serving restaurants, where a variety of dishes are usually served. To date, information on the factors affecting food waste generation in restaurants is scarce. This study aimed to identify the drivers and determinants of food waste generation while dining out at restaurants serving Mezze-type cuisine. According to the results from a convenience sample of 496 restaurant clientele, gender, age, and marital status did not affect food waste generation. Diners in both low and high price range restaurants waste above the grand mean compared to middle-range ones. Waste generation decreased significantly as the number of diners per table increased. However, ordering water-pipe, alcohol, or more dishes contributed significantly to food waste generation. As food waste is not the outcome of a single behavior, our study puts food waste generation drivers and determinants while dining out in perspective.

Download Full-text

Food Waste in Da Nang City of Vietnam: Trends, Challenges, and Perspectives toward Sustainable Resource Use

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137368 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7368

Author(s):

Ngoc-Bao Pham ◽

Thu-Nga Do ◽

Van-Quang Tran ◽

Anh-Duc Trinh ◽

Chen Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

African Swine Fever ◽

Modern Society ◽

Critical Issue ◽

Typical Feature ◽

City Government ◽

Willingness To Participate ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Pig Feed

Food waste has become a critical issue in modern society, especially in the urbanized and fast-growing cities of Asia. The increase in food waste has serious negative impacts on environmental sustainability, water and land resources, and food security, as well as climate and greenhouse gas emissions. Through a specific case study in Da Nang City, Vietnam, this paper examines the extent of food waste generation at the consumption stages, the eating habits of consumers, food waste from households and service establishments, as well as prospects for the reuse of food waste as pig feed. The results of this study indicate that per capita food waste generation in Da Nang has increased from 0.39 to 0.41kg in 2016, 0.46 in 2017, and reached 0.52kg in 2018. According to the results of our consumer survey, 20% of respondents stated that they often generate food waste, 67% stated they sometimes do, and 13% stated they rarely do. Furthermore, 66% of surveyed households stated that their food waste is collected and transported by pig farmers to be used as feed for pigs. The use of food waste as feed for pigs is a typical feature in Da Nang. The study also found that there is a high level of consumer awareness and willingness to participate in the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) program, which was being initiated by the city government. In service facilities such as resorts and hotels, daily food waste reached 100–200 kg in large facilities and 20–120 kg in small facilities. This waste was also collected for use in pig farming. However, there has been a fall in demand for pig feed in line with a decrease in the number of pig farms due to the African swine fever epidemic that occurred during the implementation of this study. This paper suggests that there is a strong need to take both consumer-oriented waste prevention and waste management measures, such as waste segregation at source and introduction of effective food waste recycling techniques, to ensure that food waste can be safely and sustainably used as a “valuable resource” rather than “wasted.”

Download Full-text

Food waste volume and composition in households in Greece

Global NEST Journal ◽

10.30955/gnj.003144 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Field Data ◽

Food Item ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Waste Collection ◽

Urban Households ◽

Household Food ◽

Actual Field ◽

Capita Food ◽

Per Capita

<p>The purpose of this paper is the presentation of the results compiled from self weighing of household food waste and self filling of waste collection diaries that took place in Greece. A diary was compiled and given to 101 urban households in various areas of the country. The participants were asked to weigh and write down in the diary every food item wasted in their households for two full weeks (i.e., 14 days). The total per capita food waste generation in Greece is estimated to be 76.1 (±68.3) kg/inh.y. This figure is divided into the avoided food waste fraction which equals to 25.9 (±34.9) kg/inh.y, and the unavoidable fraction which is estimated to be 50.2 (±47.1) kg/inh.y. The use of diaries for recording food that is thrown away from households is a methodology that underestimates the food wasted in households because households tend to be cautious when they know that they have to weigh and report the amount of food that they throw away. The current research is the first of its kind, presenting actual field data for food waste generation by households in Greece.</p>

Download Full-text

Application of lactic acid derived from food waste on pathogen inactivation in fecal sludge: a review on the alternative use of food waste

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2018-0041 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 423-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emmanuel Alepu Odey ◽

Bodjui Olivier Abo ◽

Zifu Li ◽

Xiaoqin Zhou

Keyword(s):

Lactic Acid ◽

Food Waste ◽

Crop Production ◽

Environmental Problems ◽

Fermented Food ◽

Population Increase ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Pathogen Inactivation ◽

Nutrient Runoff ◽

Fecal Sludge

Abstract Food waste generation and disposal have led to several environmental problems, especially in developing countries. This phenomenon is partly because most cities rapidly urbanize, which results in population increase, urban settlement and waste generation. Improper management of waste has continued to create environmental problems. These problems have indeed interfered with the inadequate measures in managing other organic waste such as food waste. Food waste can be fermented and used for pathogen inactivation in fecal sludge (FS). The continual decrease in global crop production due to soil erosion, nutrient runoff and loss of organic matter has generated interest in using FS for soil amendment. However, due to the high number of pathogens in FS that are harmful to humans, FS must be treated before being used in agriculture. Thus, given the high amounts of food waste generated globally and the lactic acid potential of fermented food waste, several researchers have recently proposed the use of fermented food waste to suppress pathogens in FS. This review presents the various approaches in pathogen inactivation in FS using different types of food waste. On the basis of the literature review, the major problems associated with the generation, collection and application of food waste in pathogen inactivation in FS are discussed. Moreover, the trends and challenges that concern the applicability of each method are critically reviewed.

Download Full-text

Investigation of Biogas Energy Yield from Local Food Waste and Integration of Biogas Digester and Baking Stove for Injera Preparation: A Case Study in the University of Gondar Student Cafeteria

Journal of Energy ◽

10.1155/2020/8892279 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Ashenafi Tesfaye Bicks

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Food Processing ◽

Generation Rate ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Waste Generation ◽

Biogas Energy ◽

Waste Generation Rate ◽

The University ◽

Processing Mechanism

Energy shortage is the main problem while preparing food at the university in Ethiopia. Baking of injera consumes a lot of firewood due to the nature of baking mitad and layout of the system. The daily average firewood consumption is 8600 kg which is equivalent to 790.3 m3 of gas. In this study, an investigation of energy yield from food waste is examined by assessing the daily waste generation rate from the university student cafeteria and configuring the baking stove (mitad) that utilizes biogas energy. CFD is used to investigate the performance and heat distribution of baking mitad. In the study, the measured average daily biodegradable food waste and kitchen waste generation rate in the campus is around 863 kg/day. The conversion of this food waste using the anaerobic digestion system yields 43.2 m3 biogas per day. Utilizing the daily biogas generated for baking injera improves the overall food making process and reduces firewood consumption by 5.4%. This biogas energy yield is considered to be utilized for baking injera in the kitchen. The designed biogas mitad (stove) does not generate smoke due to the type of fuel used and configuration of baking mitad. Furthermore, the stove has an insulation mechanism considered to conserve the heat loss to the surrounding. Generally, the utilization of the biogas system and integration of the biogas injera baking stove will improve the overall food processing mechanism in the university.

Download Full-text