Volume Of Food Waste Research Articles

VALORIZATION OF FOOD WASTE THROUGH COMPOSTING PROCESSES

The food sector is one of the main sources of waste generation, and restaurants stand out for the abundance of food waste generated. It is estimated that 931 million tons of food waste (FW) will be generated in 2022, 26% of which will come from the food service sector. When improperly disposed of in the environment, FW causes problems such as nutrient leaching, pollutant gas emissions, and contamination, and is considered a public health problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different stabilization bioprocesses on foodservice FW in terms of its physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the agronomic value of the final product. To this end, aerobic composting treatments were carried out for 100 days in closed compost bins. Three treatments were carried out, all in triplicate, with different proportions by volume of FW and grass clippings as a structuring agent. The performance of the process was evaluated in terms of temperature and mass and volume reductions, and the organic compounds were evaluated in terms of their physicochemical and spectroscopic characteristics. The composting results showed that the percentage of FW interfered with some parameters. Treatment T2, made with the highest percentage of FW, had the the lower values of pH, EC and EC:TOC ratio. The results led to the conclusion that the processes carried out are viable alternatives for recycling the nutrients contained in FSW.

Restaurant food waste valorization by microwave-assisted hydrolysis: Optimization, typological and biochemical analysis

Annually, a substantial volume of food waste is being released into the environment. Restaurant food waste (RFW) valorization using microwave-assisted hydrolysis (MAH) is a sustainable approach to produce fermentable sugars. However, RFW is composed of different foodstuffs with different physicochemical, nutritional, and degradation rates. This study explored the typological, chemical, and elemental analysis of RFW. Results revealed that the four main types of RFW were vegetable (33.2 %), meat (19.3 %), rice (15.2 %), and bread waste (11.0 %). The key parameters impacting the MAH of typologically sorted RFW were identified using the Plackett–Burman design (PBD). Then the central composite design (CCD) with 30 runs was used to increase reducing sugar content (RSC). The optimized condition was as follows: temperature 96.0 °C, microwave power 340 W, HCl concentration of 1.45 %, and microwave heating time 11.1 min. The derived hydrolysates were characterized for their biochemical and monosaccharide composition.

Assessing Energy Potential and Chemical Composition of Food Waste Thermodynamic Conversion Products: A Literature Review

This study examines the considerable volume of food waste generated annually in Slovenia, which amounted to over 143,000 tons in 2020. The analysis shows that 40% of food waste consists of edible parts, highlighting the potential for reduction through increased consumer awareness and attitudes towards food consumption. The study shows that the consumption phase contributes the most to waste food (46%), followed by primary production (25%) and processing/manufacture (24%). The study addresses various thermodynamic processes, in particular, thermal conversion methods, such as torrefaction pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization, which optimize energy potential by reducing the atomic ratio (H/C) and (O/C), thereby increasing calorific value and facilitating the production of solid fuels. The main results show the effectiveness of torrefaction, pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in increasing the energy potential of food waste.

Continuous Hydrothermal Carbonization of Olive Pomace and Orange Peels for the Production of Pellets as an Intermediate Energy Carrier

The ever-increasing volumes of food waste generated and the associated environmental issues require the development of new processing methods for these difficult waste streams. One of the technologies that can treat these waste streams directly is hydrothermal carbonization. In this work, olive pomace and orange peels were treated via a mild hydrothermal carbonization process (TORWASH®) in a continuous-flow pilot plant. For olive pomace, a solid yield of 46 wt% and a dry matter content of 58% for the solid press cakes were obtained during continuous operation for 18 days. For orange peels, the values were lower with 31 wt% solid yield and a 42% dry matter content during 28 days of continuous operation. These values corresponded fully with initial laboratory-scale batch experiments, showing the successful transformation from batch to continuous processing. The obtained hydrochar from both feedstocks showed an increase in higher heating value (HHV) and a significant reduction in ash content. Pellets produced from the solids met the requirements for industrial use, demonstrating a large increase in the deformation temperature and a significant reduction in the potassium and chlorine content compared to the original feedstock. These results indicate the excellent potential of these pellets for combustion applications.

Застосування індикаторів оцінки циркулярної економіки

The circular economy is an alternative economic model focused on increasing the efficiency of resource use and reducing the impact on the environment. In recent years, the circular economy has gained increasing importance as a tool that provides solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in sustainable development. Since the concept and principles of the circular economy are gradually accepted by all subjects at the state and international levels within the framework of sustainable development programs, measuring progress or regression of circularity has become an essential component of assessing the sustainability of the socio-economic development of states. However, the measurement of circularity may come across some problems due to the multifaceted nature of the concept, its connections with many sectors of the economy, and its geographical scope. Indicators are critical for economic assessment at all levels, from the micro (enterprise) to the macro (regional and national) and global levels, emphasizing raw materials, fuels, and energy, production, and consumption waste. Resource efficiency and waste reduction play a central role in the circular economy, so material flow indicators are particularly relevant. Most of them are collected and evaluated by international standards and are the basis for making important decisions in both public and private sectors. The paper analyzes the evaluation levels of circular transformations. It is emphasized that the methodological landscape of the circular process assessment should contain quantitative and qualitative indicators that provide sufficient information about cyclicality at all levels of economic management. At the level of the industry and types of economic activity, the range of indicators for assessing the level and efficiency of circularity has its specificity and separate methodological approaches. In the agro-food sector, the “closedness” of production and economic relationships is most often assessed by indicators of the annual volume of food waste, the share of its further re-processing, the number of investments received in the industry, and the level of waste disposal. Keywords: indicators, circular economy, assessment, indices, business transformation.

Analysis of Government Policies in Padang City in Food Waste Management at the Household Level

The waste management issue in the city of Padang, particularly the increasing accumulation of household waste, with the predominant composition being food waste, is the primary focus of this research. The research aims to investigate the policies and strategies implemented by the Padang municipal government in managing household food waste. The research method employed is qualitative, involving data collection through interviews, observations, and direct documentation. The research results indicate that the management of household food waste is still integrated within the broader framework of urban waste management. The absence of specific governance for household food waste results in a significant increase in the amount of food waste being disposed of directly in the Final Disposal Site (TPA). The study concludes that: 1) the management of household food waste is intertwined with urban waste management; 2) Specifically, the Padang city government has not yet implemented a program for managing household food waste; 3) The absence of governance for household food waste leads to a high volume of food waste being directly disposed of in the TPA; 4) Specifically, there is currently no program related to food waste reduction.

Food waste ‘Warriors’, ‘Strugglers’ and ‘Slackers’: Segmenting households based on food waste generation and sorting behaviours

Food waste is a largely avoidable global issue with adverse environmental and economic impacts. Households are the main generators of food waste, with two main food waste behaviours contributing to the issue: generation and sorting. Online survey data from 939 households was used to segment households based on two measures of food waste generation (total food waste volume and the proportion of total food waste that is avoidable) and one measure of sorting behaviour (proportion of food waste sorted sustainably). Three segments were identified: ‘Warriors’ (39.6%), ‘Strugglers’ (19.6%), and ‘Slackers’ (40.8%). Warriors have low total and avoidable food waste and sort it sustainably (i.e. sorting into a kerbside organics bin, composting, and feeding to pets). Slackers have low food waste but sort little of it sustainably. Strugglers have high food waste and a medium level of sustainable sorting. These segments were profiled based on the Motivation – Opportunity – Ability framework with motivation based on the three goal-framing motivations (i.e. gain, hedonic, and normative goals) for reducing and sorting food waste between segments. These findings can help inform the design of interventions aimed at reducing and sorting food waste in specific segments of municipal populations.

Closing the Loop on Food Waste: Stakeholder Views and Experiences from Southeast Queensland, Australia

Every year in Australia, the household, commercial and industry sectors generate more than five million tonnes of food waste, with the majority of it ending up in landfills that are costly to run and diminishing in availability. There are urgent calls for effective waste management practices to better address the challenges related to increasing volumes of food waste. This study evaluates potential food waste collection and composting initiatives that will ensure the implementation of the appropriate policies and technologies, and best practice of utilizing food waste as a natural resource. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with practitioners from the Southeast Queensland waste industry to gain insights on the challenges and opportunities for implementing a Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) system. The interviews revealed five key themes: levies and taxes, capital investment challenges, lack of capacity, contract inefficiencies, and separate waste streams. Organisations and companies in the waste industry heavily rely on funding in order to technologically advance. There is a divergence of attention between technology and policy. Advancement of technology grows faster than the policies that regulate the appropriate use and level of effectiveness of the introduced technology. Both policy and technological changes need to occur simultaneously for Queensland to evolve and develop a social-economic system that favours a non-wasteful and sustainable future.

Fighting food losses in the US

The problem of food waste and loss is one of the most important components of the global food problem. Its relevance has been steadily growing in the last 2-3 decades, due to the huge (about 1 billion tons annually) volume of food waste and loss against the background of a number of other problems, in particular, the degradation of the main natural resources used in agricultural production, as well as the presence of a significant number of hungry and malnourished population. Along with the fact that a significant amount of food waste and loss is produced in the USA (about 100 million tons annually), the formation of a coherent system of measures to combat food losses has begun in the country. This article is the second part of the study, and is devoted to the analysis of the system of measures to reduce food loss and waste undertaken in the United States at the state level. In conclusion, some problematic issues that hinder the effective solution of the problem are also considered.

Efficient Strategies For Managing Food Waste In Institutional Catering: A Comprehensive Study

Background: Food waste is a pressing global issue, and its management within institutional catering facilities is of paramount importance. Institutions such as College, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias generate substantial amounts of food waste, contributing to environmental concerns and economic inefficiencies. This abstract presents a comprehensive study aimed at identifying efficient strategies for handling food waste in institutional catering settings. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were to Investigate the multifaceted impact of food waste management strategies in institutional catering and propose practical recommendations to enhance food waste management in these settings. Methodology: To achieve these objectives, a quantative -methods approach specifically descriptive research design was employed. Data was collected through online questionnaire through google form from few students who had explored few sets of institutional catering facilities. convenience sampling method was used for the data collection. Sample size was 194.Data were analysed using software spss 23 on the basis of Likert scale-based questionnaire. Results: The results of the one-sample tests indicate a significant difference (p < 0.001) in food waste generation between institutions implementing various food waste reduction strategies, with a mean difference of 2.98 (95% CI: 2.786 to 3.183). Additionally, there's a significant difference (p < 0.001) in the cost of food waste disposal between institutions employing waste reduction practices and those that do not, with a mean difference of 3.06 (95% CI: 2.868 to 3.256). The adoption of various approaches to cut down on food waste in institutional catering has shown a clear impact on the quantity of food waste generated. This discovery underscores the considerable potential of these strategies in decreasing the volume of food waste generated. Conclusion: Institutional catering can significantly reduce food waste through strategic implementation of waste reduction practices, menu planning, staff training, technology utilization, and customer engagement, resulting in cost savings, environmental benefits, and enhanced compliance and satisfaction.

A review of factors reducing waste in the food supply chain: The retailer perspective

This research unifies previous studies and provides a critical review of the factors affecting the volume of food waste across food supply chains from a retailer perspective. Particularly, it focusses on analyzing the positive factors that contribute to the reduction of food waste. A systematic review was employed using a combination of methods including the three macro-stages (planning the review, conducting the review, and reporting and dissemination) and the PRISMA statement. As a result, 175 journal articles were selected, and the influences identified are analyzed from the angle of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and the Organizational theory. The search yielded forty-four unique factors that help reduce food waste. These were grouped into twelve broader categories and further classified under the three dimensions of the macro-environment, the microenvironment, and the internal environment of the retail organization. Food retailers occupy a unique position to drive other members across the supply chain (SC) to reduce food waste. The research contributes to the waste food body of knowledge and can help to guide the decisions of both retailers and stakeholders seeking to reduce food waste in the SC. • Food waste in the supply chain is rarely examined from a retailer perpective • Food retailers occupy a unique position to drive other members across the supply chain to reduce food waste • There 44 recognisable factors that can influence food waste, grouped into 12 categories.

Food Waste Volume, Origin and Causes: Case Study in a Tunisian University Canteen

Food waste reduction strategy involves a quantification of food waste generation. This work aimed to evaluate the volume and the type of post consumption food waste and to identify its main causes in a university canteen (INAT, Tunis, Tunisia). Based on a direct method, wasted food was weighed with an electronic scale, during 23 working days. Three main food groups were quantified: prepared food (PF), plate waste (PW), which is the amount of food rejected by students and left on their plates, and non-served food (NS), which is the amount of food not distributed to diners and remaining in the serving bowls. Daily direct quantification has revealed that average meals served was 209 kg/day, whereas as average food daily waste was 15.90 % of PF, 0.074 kg per student and 13.4% of PF were non-served. The average index of waste/consumption was approximately 17 %, and classified as bad, and the per capita plate was 29.3 g. The daily quantities of food waste varied from 0 to 15 kg. The most rejected foodstuffs were stews (25.3%), pasta and cereal products (20.7%), and especially bread with a waste percentage of 43%. Cause and effect diagram coupled with interviews and survey allowed identifying principal causes for the food waste generation: perceived sensory quality, poor food presentation, poor menu planning and poor management of the fluctuation of the students’ number (the quantities served were not adjusted) as well as customers’ behaviours and habits. The cost of this food waste was estimated to 15.2% of the canteen annual budget. Potential interventions for food waste preventions are discussed.

The Impact of Smartphone Apps Designed to Reduce Food Waste on Improving Healthy Eating, Financial Expenses and Personal Food Waste: Crossover Pilot Intervention Trial Studying Students' User Experiences.

BackgroundGlobal sustainability and individual health need coordinated attention. While individuals are recommended a healthy diet to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases, global attention to natural resource conservation is also needed. The latter specifically means effective measures to reduce food waste.ObjectiveThis pilot study evaluates the experiences of students and effect from using smartphone apps designed to reduce food waste on personal healthy eating, financial expenses, and food waste.MethodsA total of 6 students from different study programs (mean age 24.7, SD 2.9) were recruited to evaluate 2 different apps designed to reduce food waste and to register food consumption, food waste, and financial food expenses before and after the app trials. The apps evaluated were the commercially available TotalCtrl Home and Too-Good-To-Go. Results were analyzed by mixed methods, comprising statistical analyses for quantifiable data and thematic analyses for qualitative data. The apps were used separately in random order, each for 1 month. Primary outcome was user expectations to and experiences from the use of the apps, which were obtained by semistructured interviews. Secondary outcomes were changes in food waste volume, financial food expenses, and healthy eating. While information on food waste and food expenses was obtained by weighing food waste and registering food costs for 2 weeks before and after app trials, scores for consuming healthy diets were calculated from registered food records by scoring criteria matched to national recommendations for healthy eating.ResultsAwareness on food waste increased after app trials, but experiences with apps pointed toward several potential for technical and content improvements. The students reported that there were too many manual operations in the apps to induce permanent use (TotalCtrl Home), that services seemed more concerned about the producers’ interests than the individual’s needs (Too-Good-To-Go), and that they missed a composite app that included functions to promote healthy eating and overview of budget and expenses as well as of food waste (both apps). Use of apps designed to reduce food waste and personal costs and to improve healthy eating did not result in any measurable effects, that is, no change in food waste (mean change 0.81, SD 1.5 kg; P=.13), healthy eating (mean change –0.24, SD 0.43; P=.24), or personal food expenses (mean change 47.5 NOK or US $4.8, SD 416.9 NOK or US $42.5; P=.39).ConclusionsApps may aid in increased awareness of food waste at the producer and consumer levels. Large-scale studies with longer duration are needed to see if apps may induce measurable changes in food waste, healthy eating, and financial expenses.

Combined thermal hydrolysis pretreatment and anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and food waste

In this study, the impact of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) on the mono- and co-digestion of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) and food waste (FW) was carried out at temperatures of 150, 170, 190, and 210 °C and volumetric ratios of 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50 in batch anaerobic tests. THP enhanced solubilization, reduced volatile suspended solids (VSS) and the particle size of TWAS as the temperature increased showing optimal improvements at 170 °C. THP showed no significant impact on FW with only marginal improvements at 150 °C. Increasing the temperature beyond 170 °C for TWAS and 150 °C for FW deteriorated anaerobic biodegradability forming refractory compounds. Co-digestion improved methane yields and kinetics as the contribution of FW increased. Co-digestion of thermally pretreated TWAS with FW improved the methane yields by 27% and kinetics by 29% at 170 °C with no synergism. Co-digestion of thermally pretreated FW with TWAS improved methane yields by 15% and kinetics by 25% at 150 °C, with improvements up to 21% in synergy. THP of the mixed feedstocks improved methane yields by 53% and kinetics by 92% at 170 °C, with improvements becoming less pronounced with the increase in the volume of FW and temperature.

Examining effective means to reduce food waste behaviour in buffet restaurants

“All you can eat” buffet restaurants are one of the most popular franchise restaurant styles in Asia. They offer the “treat” of customer-friendly unlimited food intake at the expense of environmentally harmful plate waste at the end of the meal. When the right “tricks” are employed, consumers’ wasteful, anti-environmental behaviours can be changed, with significant positive effects on food waste volume and restaurant earnings. A field experiment was conducted for this study. First, in Study 1, a test of both moral and financial interventions under two serving conditions was conducted for 360 subjects to find the most effective combination of interventions and serving styles in mitigating food waste volume. Second, building upon the findings from Study 1, a random sample of 45 female and 45 male subjects were examined to test the differential effects of consumer characteristics (gender, age, occupation, and dining purpose) on food waste behaviour. The results show that while management interventions were equally effective regardless of gender, age, and occupation, consumers dining for the purpose of sociability (as compared to dining simply for sustenance) were less affected by either moral or financial interventions. The study of food waste mitigation also provides insights into effective management interventions for environmentally friendly consumer behaviours in a wide range of hospitality industries.

Development and Fabrication of A Portable Shredding Machine for Rapid Composting of Organic Waste

Solid waste management is found to be a matter of great concern all over the world. As the population grows, the volume of food waste also increases. Vegetable waste discarded from markets, waste discarded from slaughterhouses, and food waste left out after large social gatherings are becoming unmanageable heaps of organic waste. Composting is an effective process that can be used for the biodegradation of solid waste. Researchers have studied the influence of many parameters to accelerate the composting process such as adjusting the C/N ratio, pH, temperature, and moisture content. Reducing the size of larger pieces into small particles is found to accelerate the microbial activity and hence composting. This paper discusses the development and fabrication of a shredding machine used for cutting large volumes of vegetable waste. As per the studies conducted, the shredding machine can cut down 360 kg of vegetable waste into shredded waste within one hour. The quantity of petrol required for operating the engine for one hour was observed as one liter. Hence the fabricated shredding machine is found as cost-effective. The portable unit can be taken to various locations where solid organic waste has to be shredded and hence there is no need to transport waste which is a cumbersome task that consumes more energy.

Perspective: Striking a Balance between Planetary and Human Health—Is There a Path Forward?

ABSTRACTThe global adoption of predominantly plant-based, sustainable, healthy diets will help reduce the risk of obesity- and malnutrition-related noncommunicable diseases while protecting the future health of our planet. This review examines the benefits and limitations of different types of plant-based diets in terms of health and nutrition, affordability and accessibility, cultural (ethical and religious) acceptability, and the environment (i.e., the 4 pillars underlying sustainable healthy diets). Results suggest that, without professional supervision, traditional plant-based diets (vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets) can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies among infants, children/adolescents, women, pregnant/lactating women, and the elderly. In contrast, flexitarian diets and territorial diversified diets (TDDs; e.g., Mediterranean and New Nordic diets) that include large quantities of plant-sourced foods, low amounts of red meat, and moderate amounts of poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy can meet the energy and nutrition needs of different populations without the need for dietary education or supplementation. Compared with vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets, more diverse flexitarian diets and TDDs are associated with reduced volumes of food waste and may be more acceptable and easier to maintain for people who previously followed Western diets. Although flexitarian diets and TDDs have a greater impact on the environment than vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets, the negative effects are considerably reduced compared with Western diets, especially if diets include locally sourced seasonal foods. Further studies are required to define more precisely optimal sustainable healthy diets for different populations and to ensure that diets are affordable and accessible to people in all countries.

Food waste and its embedded resources loss: A provincial level analysis of China

Food waste is of great concern because it causes severe environmental pollution during disposal and contains many resources that should be well managed. Food waste quantification could clarify the resource value of wasted food and thus help to improve resource utilization efficiency, reduce water eutrophication potential, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By considering household food waste, out-of-home food waste, and food delivery waste in rural and urban regions, this paper quantifies the nitrogen, phosphorus, water, and carbon footprint embedded in China's food waste at the provincial level. The results indicate that food waste in China was 56.75 Mt. in 2018. Those wasted food cause 0.54 Mt. loss of phosphorus (5.12% of the phosphorus fertilizer consumption), 3.58 Mt. loss of nitrogen (10.43% of the nitrogen fertilizer consumption), and 120.25 billion tons loss of water (3.06 times of the storage capacity of the Three Gorges Reservoir). If ignoring the greenhouse gas emissions caused by land-use change, the carbon footprint caused by wasted food is 168.07 Mt. CO2eq, accounting for 1.44% of China's total GHG emission. Principal component analysis indicates that the per capita disposable income, urbanization rate, and personal consumption expenditure are critical factors for food waste volume variation in different provinces. Considering China's significant role in the global resource cycling, improving nutrient/resource utilization efficiency along the food supply chain, minimizing food waste volume, and developing economic-effective processes for food waste reuse and recycling are recommended to close the imbalanced resource cycle during the current food waste management.

Exploring the potential of business models for sustainability and big data for food waste reduction

Because the volume of food waste is increasing, actions are required to mitigate the environmental and social impact of food waste generation. This paper investigates the business models of 41 selected startups (technology and service providers) to capture how companies avoid food waste or use food waste as a resource. The case study analysis, based on secondary sources, shows that some startup business models leverage Big Data Analytics (BDA) to avoid food waste by optimizing an existing linear supply chain, while other business models create value out of food waste by leveraging a circular food supply chain. We found that the latter business models are not fully exploiting the potential of BDA. Based on our findings, we derive three propositions and one corollary. Whereas BDA seems a necessary requirement for business models that are focused on optimizing a linear supply chain, it appears optional for business models closing the supply chain loop. The propositions also discuss the timing when startups should start developing BDA capabilities depending on the business model type.

The USA and the food losses` problem

The problem of food waste and loss is one of the most important components of the global food problem. Its relevance has been steadily growing in the last 2-3 decades, due to the huge (about 1 billion tons annually) volume of food waste and loss against the background of a number of other problems, in particular, the degradation of the main natural resources used in agricultural production, as well as the presence of a significant number of hungry and malnourished population. Along with the fact that a significant amount of food waste and loss is produced in the USA (about 100 million tons annually), the formation of a coherent system of measures to combat food losses has begun in the country. This article analyzes the accounting methods/principles, as well as the structure and sources of food losses in the world and the USA.