Long-term food waste management in Phnom Penh utilizing a system dynamics modeling approach

Abstract

Phnom Penh has a high number of people. With more people, it is expected that food waste issues will be severe. To properly manage food waste, it is necessary to identify the key factors affecting food waste management, and examine the interactions among those key factors to effectively plan for long-term management. This study develops a dynamics model of food waste management, considering vegetables as the main waste, to examine the trends of food waste in Phnom Penh and plan for long-term management. The developed dynamics model considers two types of waste, household and retailer wastes. The simulation results reveal that most food wastes are from households. They are mainly from preparation processes and inappropriate packing sizes. The results show that with a smaller percentage of waste in preparation processes, food wastes going to a landfill decrease. The use of smaller-size packs (250 g and 350 g) also helps to minimize food wastes. The simulation results also suggest the use of biodigesters, to convert food waste to energy and reduce landfill waste in the long term. Local communities, local authorities, and governments can use this study to plan for long-term food waste management, to reduce food waste and mitigate landfill problems.