Management Options of Food Waste: A Review

AbstractThere are many economic, social and environmental reasons to reduce the occurrence of food that is wasted. As communities consider options for managing their food waste streams, an understanding of the volume, composition and variability of these streams is needed to inform the decision-making process and potentially justify the capital investments needed for separation and treatment operations. This more detailed inventory also allows for the estimation of embodied resources in food that is wasted, demonstrated herein for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Pre- and post-consumer food waste was collected from four all-you-care-to-eat Campus Dining Services (CDS) facilities at the University of Missouri, Columbia over 3 months in 2014. During the study period approximately 246.3 metric tons (t) of food reached the retail level at the four facilities. 232.4 t of this food was served and 13.9 t of it (10.1 t of edible and 3.8 t of inedible), was lost as pre-consumer waste. Over the same time period, an estimated 26.4 t of post-consumer food waste was generated at these facilities, 21.2 t of the waste edible and 5.3 t of it inedible. Overall, 5.6% of food reaching the retail level was lost at the pre-consumer stage and 10.7% was lost at the post-consumer stage. Out of the food categories examined, ‘fruits and vegetables’ constituted the largest source of food waste by weight, with grains as the second largest source of food waste by weight. GHGs embodied in edible food waste were calculated. Over the study period an estimated 11.1 t CO2e (100-yr) were embodied in the pre-consumer food waste and 56.1 t were embodied in post-consumer food waste for a total of 67.2 t. The ‘meat and protein’ category represents the largest embodiment of GHG emissions in both the pre- and post-consumer categories despite ranking fourth in total weight. Beef represents the largest contribution to post-consumer GHG emissions embodied in food waste with an estimated 34.1 t CO2e. This distinction between the greatest sources of food waste by weight and the greatest sources of GHG emissions is relevant when considering alternative management options for food waste.

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Decomposition analysis of food waste management with explicit consideration of priority of alternative management options and its application to the Japanese food industry from 2008 to 2015

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.241 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 188 ◽

pp. 568-574 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Hidemichi Fujii ◽

Yasushi Kondo

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Food Industry ◽

Decomposition Analysis ◽

Management Options ◽

Alternative Management ◽

Explicit Consideration

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Food Waste Bioeconomy: Sustainable Waste Management Options for Hawassa University Campuses, Ethiopia

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ◽

10.4314/jasem.v24i9.6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (9) ◽

pp. 1523-1527

Author(s):

Abate Feyissa Senbeta

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Research Training ◽

Poor People ◽

Management Options ◽

University Campuses ◽

The University ◽

Hawassa University

Food waste management is a challenge in University Campuses of developing countries. This study assessed food waste management challenges in Hawassa University and the possibility of cascading the waste through biomass bioeconomy model by using interviews, observations and published and unpublished documents. The results show that so far the food leftover is being used by poor people, collected by animal ranchers or damped in an openpit. Food leftover use by poor people was challenged due to poor hygienic quality, health implication to users, insecurity to campus community and theft of property in the campuses. The university’s animal enterprise was also forced to quiet its agreement with the university due people’s competition for the leftover. Generally food waste management at the University is reactive and long-term sustainability is needed. This study suggests the cascading use of biomass, i.e. using food waste as animal feed; animal waste as feedstock for biogas generation; biogas-slurryas an organic fertilizer for university farm and plantations. If implemented the model improves the waste management practices of the University; improves the resource use efficiency and energy security, and reduces fuel wood consumption and mitigate greenhouse gas emission. Moreover the model creates circular economy that serves as a sustainability showcase in practice for research, training, recreation, experience sharing and income generation activities. Keywords: Bio-economy, food waste, Hawassa University, sustainability

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A multi-criteria sustainability assessment framework: development and application in comparing two food waste management options using a UK region as a case study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-018-2479-z ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (36) ◽

pp. 35821-35834 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Eleni Iacovidou ◽

Nikolaos Voulvoulis

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Assessment Framework ◽

Management Options ◽

Framework Development

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Identification and Analysis of Attributes for Industrial Food Waste Management Modelling

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11082445 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 2445 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Guillermo Garcia-Garcia ◽

Elliot Woolley ◽

Shahin Rahimifard

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Food System ◽

Management Decision ◽

Management Options ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Model Food ◽

Management Decision Making ◽

Food And Drink

Due to the large quantities of food waste generated by manufacturers and the associated environmental impact of these waste streams, improving food waste management is vital for achieving a more sustainable food system. Management of food waste can be complex and the most appropriate methods may not always be selected. There are a range of aspects to consider in order to select the most sustainable option to manage food waste, such as the specific type of food waste generated, waste management options available, characteristics of food companies that generate food waste, features of the waste management processors that will manage it, and the sustainability implications of dealing with the food waste. To support food waste management decision making, this paper presents a modelling procedure to assist in identifying what type and range of information is needed to model food waste management systems, allowing the user to follow a systematic methodology to make more informed decisions. This procedure is based on the identification and analysis of qualitative and quantitative attributes necessary to model food waste management and an assessment of their relationships. Specifically, it describes a process to ensure that all relevant attributes are considered during the decision-making process. A case study with a large UK food and drink manufacturer is used to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of this procedure. In conclusion, the systematic procedure presented in this paper provides a methodology to identify opportunities to improve the sustainability of industrial food waste management. The data obtained can be used to further undertake a life-cycle assessment study and/or to apply existing socio-economic methodologies to thoroughly assess impacts and benefits of food waste management.

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Is there a need for greater integration and shift in policy to tackle food waste? Insights from a review of European Union legislations

SN Applied Sciences ◽

10.1007/s42452-020-3147-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (8) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mattias Eriksson ◽

Simone Giovannini ◽

Ranjan Kumar Ghosh

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Policy Issue ◽

Fiscal Rules ◽

Policy Framework ◽

The European Union ◽

Management Options ◽

Waste Minimisation ◽

Integrated Policy

AbstractWithin the European Union, there is an increasing recognition about the negative environmental impacts of food waste making it a prominent policy issue. But there is no clarity whether policies aimed at food waste minimisation are based on sound legislative frameworks that actually empower the relevant actors. By carefully reviewing existing European Union legislations that are linked directly or indirectly to food waste, we identify the difficulties encountered by stakeholders and assess whether adaptations to the rules-in-use are beneficial and desirable. Our general finding is that liability for donated foodstuffs, date marking provisions, the flexibility principle provided by the European Union Hygiene Package and fiscal rules are the main policy elements affecting, either positively or negatively, food waste generation and management. Food donation for charitable purposes emerges as the predominant Pan-European Union waste management solution. While removing existing barriers for food donors and banks is fundamental—as it makes redistribution more effective—this does not tackle prevention of excess food generation. We conclude that while there are several European Union food legislations which include and impact food waste management options, they are hardly direct. Moreover, they often generate incentives that are at odds across stakeholders, thereby dampening the intended impact. There is, therefore, need for an integrated policy framework to tackle food waste specifically. For that to happen though, a pre-requisite is lot more empirical research on the interaction effects of various food waste legislations.

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