Investigating Food Waste Recycling in Local Food Service Businesses: A Case Study from a Local Government Area in Australia

Ellen Fogarty,Kirstin E Ross,Beverley Clarke

doi:10.3390/su132413846

Abstract

Worldwide, over 1.3 billion tonnes of food goes to waste each year, and much of this is disposed of in landfill, which is costly to the economy and the environment. This study targeted food waste management in local food service businesses as the third largest producer of food waste and a sector that has received less academic attention than other food waste producers (such as household food waste). Questionnaires and interviews were used to investigate current food waste management practices within food service businesses in a Local Government Area in Adelaide, South Australia. Twenty-two respondents completed the online questionnaire and three of these businesses also participated in an interview—two in-person at their business premises and one via an online teleconferencing system. It was found that 54% (n = 12) of these businesses have practices in place to recycle their food waste, while 46% (n = 10) do not. Insufficient kitchen space and the difficulty of separating food waste from non-compostable rubbish were reasons given for not recycling food waste, and the single most important factor that would encourage food waste recycling cited by businesses was the provision of a free, green organics bin. Motivations for recycling food waste included compassion for the environment and the desire to divert waste from landfill. These insights may help local government implement solutions to reduce food waste from entering landfill.

Highlights

Many food items perish before they have been eaten or used, and this equates to an annual generation of more than 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste [1]
Food waste is defined variously, but, in the context of this paper, food waste is a broad term that refers to food fit for, and intended for, human consumption, that was for whatever reason not consumed but discarded, as well as items produced during the food preparation process that cannot be consumed such as skins, peelings, and egg shells [3]
In the attempt to gain a better understanding of food waste management habits and attitudes within food service businesses, this study investigated the practices and attitudes of food service business owners and managers within the City of Mitcham, a Local Government Area of the capital city of Adelaide, in

Summary

Introduction

Many food items perish before they have been eaten or used, and this equates to an annual generation of more than 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste [1]. Up to one third of all food produced ends up as waste [1], and of all waste generated globally, food waste accounts for up to 44 percent [2]. A rapidly growing world population is predicted to increase the volume of food generation as well as food going to waste. This presents many social, economic, and environmental challenges from production to disposal. This paper focuses on food waste generated in the food service industry—the end of the food supply chain [4]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion