© Circwaste
In Finland, a total of 78 million kilograms of food waste is estimated to be generated annually in food services, of which a total of 61 million kilograms is originally edible.
In this CircBrief we will introduce an operating model to reduce food waste in food services.
In addition to this, we present some concrete tools and examples from municipalities to reduce food waste.
Good flow of information is at the heart of food waste reduction
To reduce food waste, an operating model has been developed for food services through food waste measurements, workshops, and interviews. The operating model is based on continuous measurement, on the basis of which the company or restaurant outlet selects the measures that best suit it. The implementation of the measures and targets is monitored by daily measurement. The operating model is applicable to all food services in Finland.
All parties are responsible for the implementation of the operating model: the service client, the food services management and developers, the kitchen staff, and the customers.
The operating model is based on a mutual aim to reduce food waste. © Circwaste/SYKE
Do you want to reduce food waste?
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) has developed an easy-to-use online application, Lukeloki, for food service companies to measure food waste. You can use the app on your phone, tablet, or computer. Food waste is logged in to the application by origin, i.e. it is separated into kitchen waste, serving waste and customer plate leftovers. To make daily measuring and logging easy, menus are imported to the application in advance. The monitoring system can be used in either buffet or cooked to order restaurants and in outlets with both options. The application calculates both food waste per kilogram of prepared food and food waste per customer. The results can be used to evaluate what are the most significant sources of food waste and what are the underlying reasons for it.
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More information
- Senior Research Scientist Kirsi Silvennoinen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), firstname.lastname@luke.fi
- Senior Research Scientist Sari Piippo, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, firstname.lastname@syke.fi