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.

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 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 Can digital solutions help in the minimization of out-of-home waste? An analysis from the client and business perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1341-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Secondi ◽  
Ludovica Principato ◽  
Giovanni Mattia
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Client Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Home Food ◽  
Business Perspective ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose Halving food waste has been included within the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Food wasted out-of-home is the second source of food waste. However, the majority of the studies have focused on home generated food waste, and still little is known about out-of-home food waste and how it is managed by food service companies. The purpose of this paper is to adopt a double perspective in analyzing food waste generated at a food service level, by focusing on both the client and business perspective. Design/methodology/approach First, from the client perspective, the authors aim at analyzing consumer out-of-home habits, self-reported waste quantification, and doggy bag usage by reporting the results of an exploratory survey which involved 411 individuals living in central Italy. Second, from a business perspective, the authors analyzed an award-winning practice that manages out-of-home food waste in Italy by combining food surplus management and digital solutions with a profitable business model innovation. Findings Results obtained from the two perspectives of analysis support the need of business investments in innovations and digital solutions, in order to meet client needs and behavior, thus contributing to better manage and reduce food surplus and waste. Practical implications This study will raise practitioners’ knowledge on the advantages of digital solution in food surplus management, along with a better comprehension on food waste behavior from the client perspective. Originality/value This is the first study that analyses out-of-home waste from both the client and business perspective, emphasizing how digital solutions can help in reducing the phenomenon.

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

scholarly journals Consumer Imperfect Information in the Market for Expired and Nearly Expired Foods and Implications for Reducing Food Waste

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Collart ◽  
Matthew Interis
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Opportunity Cost ◽  
Choice Experiment ◽  
Imperfect Information ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Perishable Products ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Incentive Compatible

A substantial source of food waste occurs when consumers and sellers dispose of expired food despite it being safe to eat. We conduct an incentive-compatible, non-hypothetical laboratory choice experiment in which 150 participants choose between food products of varying perishability level at various dates before or after their best-before dates. In one treatment, participants received information about the interpretation of food date labels. In another they received this information plus additional information on food waste due to date label confusion and its environmental impacts. We find that clarifying the meaning of date labels is insufficient to change preferences for food past its best-before date, but when a link between date labels, food waste, and its environmental impacts is made, participants’ willingness-to-pay for expired food increases, particularly for expired frozen or recently expired semi-perishable products. Our findings have implications for food waste reduction efforts because increasing the value of expired food increases the opportunity cost of wasting expired but consumable food.

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 Systematic literature review of food waste in educational institutions: setting the research agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Puneet Kaur ◽  
Amandeep Dhir ◽  
Shalini Talwar ◽  
Melfi Alrasheedy
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Behavioural Aspects

Purpose In the recent past, academic researchers have noted the quantity of food wasted in food service establishments in educational institutions. However, more granular inputs are required to counter the challenge posed. The purpose of this study is to undertake a review of the prior literature in the area to provide a platform for future research. Design/methodology/approach Towards this end, the authors used a robust search protocol to identify 88 congruent studies to review and critically synthesize. The research profiling of the selected studies revealed limited studies conducted on food service establishments in universities. The research is also less dispersed geographically, remaining largely focused on the USA. Thereafter, the authors performed content analysis to identify seven themes around which the findings of prior studies were organized. Findings The key themes of the reviewed studies are the drivers of food waste, quantitative assessment of food waste, assessment of the behavioural aspects of food waste, operational strategies for reducing food waste, interventions for inducing behavioural changes to mitigate food waste, food diversion and food waste disposal processes and barriers to the implementation of food waste reduction strategies. Research limitations/implications This study has key theoretical and practical implications. From the perspective of research, the study revealed various gaps in the extant findings and suggested potential areas that can be examined by academic researchers from the perspective of the hospitality sector. From the perspective of practice, the study recommended actionable strategies to help managers mitigate food waste. Originality/value The authors have made a novel contribution to the research on food waste reduction by identifying theme-based research gaps, suggesting potential research questions and proposing a framework based on the open-systems approach to set the future research agenda.

scholarly journals Antecedents of Consumer Food Waste Reduction Behavior: Psychological and Financial Concerns through the Lens of the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12457
Author(s):  
Saman Attiq ◽  
Amanda Chu ◽  
Rauf Azam ◽  
Wing-Keung Wong ◽  
Sumia Mumtaz
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Financial Concern ◽  
The Impact

This study sought to investigate the role of consumers’ emotional, cognitive, and financial concerns in the development of food waste reduction, reuse, and recycling behavior among restaurant patrons. Food waste in restaurants is a major problem for the food service industry, and it is a growing source of concern in developing countries, where eating out is becoming increasingly popular. A large portion of restaurant food waste in these markets originates from the plates of customers, highlighting the importance of consumer behavior changes in reducing waste. The current study has used a quantitative approach to analyze the impact of anticipated negative emotion of guilt, awareness of consequences, habit, and financial concern on food waste reduction behaviors, i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle. The study collected 492 responses and data is analyzed for hypotheses testing through Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling. The findings showed that anticipated negative emotions of guilt, awareness of consequences, habit, and financial concern have a significant impact on restaurants’ consumer food waste reduction behaviors. Managers, policymakers, and researchers interested in resolving the food waste problem will find the study useful. Other topics discussed include the implications and limitations as well as possible future research directions.

scholarly journals Understanding the Effect of Dining and Motivational Factors on Out-Of-Home Consumer Food Waste

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6507
Author(s):  
Francesca Goodman-Smith ◽  
Romain Mirosa ◽  
Miranda Mirosa
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Motivational Factors ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
Total Food ◽  
Motivating Factor ◽  
Saving Measure

Approximately 12% of total food waste is generated at the hospitality and food service level. Previous research has focused on kitchen and storeroom operations; however, 34% of food waste in the sector is uneaten food on consumers’ plates, known as “plate waste”. The effect of situational dining factors and motivational factors on plate waste was analysed in a survey of 1001 New Zealand consumers. A statistically significantly greater proportion (p < 0.05) of participants reported plate waste if the meal was more expensive, longer in duration or at dinnertime. Irrespective of age or gender, saving money was the most important motivating factor, followed by saving hungry people, saving the planet and, lastly, preventing guilt. Successful food waste reduction campaigns will frame reduction as a cost-saving measure. As awareness of the environmental and social costs of food waste builds, multifactorial campaigns appealing to economic, environmental and social motivators will be most effective.

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