Potential environmental benefits from food waste prevention in the food service sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Beretta ◽  
Stefanie Hellweg
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Waste Prevention

scholarly journals Evaluation of Food Waste Prevention Measures—The Use of Fish Products in the Food Service Sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6613
Author(s):  
Yanne Goossens ◽  
Thomas G. Schmidt ◽  
Manuela Kuntscher
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Economic Costs

This study presents two food waste prevention measures focusing on the interface between the food service sector and its food suppliers. Through a case study on procuring salmon by a hotel kitchen, the use of food products with different convenience grades is examined. The convenience grade of the fish bought (whole salmon, fillets or portions) determines where along the food chain filleting and/or portioning takes place and thus where food waste from cut-offs occurs. To reduce food waste, we propose purchasing filleted or portioned salmon rather than whole salmon. For both measures, effectiveness is calculated by looking at food waste reductions along the food chain, achieved by a better use of filleting and portioning cut-offs. Next, sustainability across the environmental, economic and social dimension is evaluated by calculating (a) avoided embodied environmental impacts and economic costs, (b) avoided food waste disposal environmental impacts and economic costs and (c) environmental, economic and social impacts and costs associated with implementing the measures. Purchasing fillets or portions instead of whole salmon leads to food waste reductions of −89% and −94%, respectively. The interventions further lead to net climate change impact savings along the salmon chain of −16% (fillets) and −18% (portions). Whereas the kitchen saves costs when switching to fillets (−13%), a switch to portions generates additional net costs (+5%). On a social level, no effects could be determined based on the information available. However, good filleting skills would no longer be needed in the kitchen and a time consuming preparation can be sourced out.

scholarly journals Patterns and Causes of Food Waste in the Hospitality and Food Service Sector: Food Waste Prevention Insights from Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effie Papargyropoulou ◽  
Julia K. Steinberger ◽  
Nigel Wright ◽  
Rodrigo Lozano ◽  
Rory Padfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Prevention Measures

Food waste has formidable detrimental impacts on food security, the environment, and the economy, which makes it a global challenge that requires urgent attention. This study investigates the patterns and causes of food waste generation in the hospitality and food service sector, with the aim of identifying the most promising food waste prevention measures. It presents a comparative analysis of five case studies from the hospitality and food service (HaFS) sector in Malaysia and uses a mixed-methods approach. This paper provides new empirical evidence to highlight the significant opportunity and scope for food waste reduction in the HaFS sector. The findings suggest that the scale of the problem is even bigger than previously thought. Nearly a third of all food was wasted in the case studies presented, and almost half of it was avoidable. Preparation waste was the largest fraction, followed by buffet leftover and then customer plate waste. Food waste represented an economic loss equal to 23% of the value of the food purchased. Causes of food waste generation included the restaurants’ operating procedures and policies, and the social practices related to food consumption. Therefore, food waste prevention strategies should be twofold, tackling both the way the hospitality and food service sector outlets operate and organise themselves, and the customers’ social practices related to food consumption.

Food waste volume and origin: Case studies in the Finnish food service sector

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 140-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Silvennoinen ◽  
Lotta Heikkilä ◽  
Juha-Matti Katajajuuri ◽  
Anu Reinikainen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service

Elements affecting food waste in the food service sector

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 446-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotta Heikkilä ◽  
Anu Reinikainen ◽  
Juha-Matti Katajajuuri ◽  
Kirsi Silvennoinen ◽  
Hanna Hartikainen
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service

scholarly journals Quantifying Avoidable Food Waste and Identifying Its Underlying Causes: A Case Study of a University Dormitory in Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 55-67
Author(s):  
Shimpei Iwasaki ◽  
Suphat Prasopsin ◽  
Thamarat Phutthai
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Policies And Programs

To develop well-planned and effective policies and programs for reducing avoidable food waste, it is important to quantify the actual food waste level in particular settings and assess relationships among consumers’ awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. Recognizing these considerations, this paper measured avoidable food waste generated by university students living in dormitory buildings and identified its underlying causes in the case of Kanchanaburi campus, Mahidol University, Thailand. The study applied a food waste composition survey 18 times between January and May 2019 while administering questionnaires in October 2019 to the dormitory students. Based on these measures, the study identified 1,417 instances of avoidable food waste. Approximately half of the avoidable food waste had not even been eaten. Most of this waste was generated by female students. Some factors in terms of motivation, opportunity, and ability using a Motivation, Opportunity, Ability framework were found to have induced more food waste among female students. Due attention to the effect of avoidable food waste reduction includes educating dormitory students about food waste as well as more space and increased visibility of stored food in shared refrigerators. Targeting university students for reducing avoidable food waste in the setting of everyday life in dormitories is needed rather than simply focusing on the food service sector on campus.

scholarly journals Food Waste in Healthcare, Business and Hospitality Catering: Composition, Environmental Impacts and Reduction Potential on Company and National Levels

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3288
Author(s):  
Toni Meier ◽  
Torsten von Borstel ◽  
Birgit Welte ◽  
Brennan Hogan ◽  
Steven M. Finn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Environmental Footprints ◽  
Management Schemes ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Near Future

Background: As the reduction of food wastage remains one of our most critical challenges, we quantified the environmental impacts of food losses in the food-service sector in Germany, with a particular focus on the subsectors of business, healthcare and hospitality. Methods: Using the food-waste data of 7 catering companies, 1545 measurement days and 489,185 served meals during two 4–6 week monitoring periods, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) according to ISO standard 14040/44 was conducted. Within the LCA, the carbon, water (blue) and land footprints, and the ecological scarcity in terms of eco-points, were calculated. Results: We show that the waste generated in the food-service sector in Germany is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions of 4.9 million tons CO2-equivalents (CO2e), a water use of 103,057 m3 and a land demand of 322,838 ha, equating to a total of 278 billion eco-points per year. Subsector-specifically, in hospitality catering: 1 kg of food waste accounts for 3.4 kg CO2e, 61.1 L water and 2.6 m2 land (208 eco-points); in healthcare: 2.9 kg CO2e, 48.4 L and 1.9 m2 land (150 eco-points); and in business: 2.3 kg CO2e, 72 L water and 1.0–1.4 m2 land (109–141 eco-points). Meal-specifically, the environmental footprints vary between 1.5 and 8.0 kg CO2e, 23.2–226.1 L water and 0.3–7.1 m2 per kg food waste. Conclusions: If robust food waste management schemes are implemented in the near future and take the waste-reduction potential in the food-service sector into account, Target 12.3 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals—which calls for halving food waste by 2030—is within reach.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document