Food waste generation and potential interventions at Rhodes University, South Africa

Lost Food and Associated Phosphorus Footprint: Evidence from China

The environmental impacts of excessive phosphorus emissions (PE) have been widely discussed in recent years. This study aims to calculate and evaluate the phosphorus footprint (PF) of food thrown away in Chinese universities. Based on a nationwide survey involving 9192 university students from 29 provinces and 29 universities in China, the result reveals that the PF generated by food waste in Chinese university canteens was 3.209 Kt in 2018. Furthermore, it is found that meal satisfaction, gender, regional economic level, dietary culture, and years of education all have significant impacts on lost food PF. Our findings emphasize the importance of reducing food waste in university canteens, which plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and environmental protection.

Sustainability in food service: A systematic review

The irrational functioning of the food sector can negatively impact the environment and resources for future generations. The aim of this study is to analyse the assessment of sustainability indicators related to meal production processes and waste in the food service through a systematic literature review. The hypothesis is that these indicators are still little explored. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols. The databases consulted were Lilacs, Science Direct, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, OpenGrey and Greylit. Six different search strategies were applied, combining the terms sustainability and food service, plus manual searches. The search took place until April 2020 and there was no language restriction of the studies. After removing duplicates, 770 publications were identified through the search process, with 44 having been included in this review. Most publications carried out the quantification of food waste (38/44), while in 7/44 there were questionnaires, checklists and water footprint assessments. Most studies identified high indicators of waste, as well as little awareness of sustainability. Factors such as controlled portioning, omnivorous menus and dissatisfaction with the menu were reported to have caused the greatest losses in the process. This review identified a restricted assessment of sustainability in food service, countering the need to deepen these indicators and the effect of meal production processes on sustainable development.

Management of university solid waste in China through gasification technology: An analysis of waste composition and energy potential

This study explored the composition and energy potential of university solid waste (USW) in China. Five combustible components, namely hard plastics (HP), paper (PP), soft plastics (SP), biomass (BM), and rubber (RB), were screened with the compositions 51%, 29%, 9%, 4%, and 3%, respectively. Each USW sample was gasified using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) at the heating rates of 5, 10, and 15 ℃/min and a final process temperature of 900 ℃. Thermal weight loss (TG) curves exposed the degradation in the order HP > SP > RB > BM > PP. Derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) peaks revealed that HP, PP, BM, and SP were degraded in three temperature-oriented phases in the range 172-731 ℃. The RB took an additional phase in the range 584-660 ℃. Major released gases, H₂, CH₄, CO, and CO₂, were detected using MS via mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios. Higher H₂ and total gas yield produced in the case of the HP dominated other materials at the lower heating rate of 5 ℃/min. Validation of data was assessed by equating experimental and calculated curves; therefore, the regression coefficient (R²) ranged between 0.884 and 0.997. The kinetics of the process were estimated by applying the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) model at the conversion rates (α) of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8, which presented reasonable results. Overall, the lower heating rates supported higher thermal conversion and a high quantity of gaseous products for all the components.

Plate Waste in School Catering in Rezekne, Latvia

This research was conducted within the framework of a research project aimed at detecting patterns of plate waste and developing recommendations for improving catering in seven schools in Rezekne city (Latvia) by a combination of observation, physical weighing, semi-structured interview approaches and statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). We identified plate waste (including wasted beverages), which remains after the lunch of schoolchildren in grades 1–7, examining a total of 7064 lunch samples. The originality of the research is due to the fact that a unified menu was designed for the field study, which ensured the same field study conditions in all the schools. The results of the research revealed that the average weight of plate waste per schoolchild reached 178 g, and the total weight of plate waste accounted for 28.75% of the total weight of food served. No significant differences in plate waste weight between various age groups and grades of schoolchildren were found, which was also confirmed by a one-way ANOVA test. An analysis of plate waste by food category showed that beverages accounted for the largest share of total plate waste (42.24%), followed by staple food (28.38%) and meat (11.77%). An analysis of plate waste shares of food served (%) by food category revealed a similar situation: the largest share of food served was made up of beverages (37.56%), followed by staple food (36.48%) and meat (28.77%). An analysis of the monetary value of food waste showed that the average cost of plate waste (excluding beverage) per schoolchild was EUR 0.236, which represented 16.6% of the national and municipal funding of EUR 1.42 per portion. Given the research results, the authors have concluded that in order to reduce the amount of plate waste generated by Rezekne city schools, school menus should be based not only on the requirements prescribed by relevant legal acts but also on cooking processes that meet the requirements of modern consumers (learners), e.g., by following trends in cooking practices in society to make the learners interested in consuming school food.

Are the Slimmer More Wasteful? The Correlation between Body Mass Index and Food Wastage among Chinese Youth

With the economic growth and living standard improvement, food waste has become increasingly common among Chinese youth. To test whether body size affects the food waste performance of youth, we examined university students as representative of the Chinese youth and conducted a large-sample survey in 29 universities across 29 provinces. Based on 9192 questionnaires collected from Chinese college canteens, we found that body size was correlated with food waste. The smaller the body mass index (BMI) value, the higher the likelihood of plate waste, the higher the amount of waste, and the higher the ratio of food waste. Heterogeneity analyses revealed that BMI exerted a more significant impact on males than females, as well as a more substantial impact on northerners than southerners. Robust tests using other proxies to measure body size, robust regressions based on the new adjusted samples, and robust tests with an instrumental variable to overcome the endogenous issue suggested that the slimmer participants tended to be more wasteful. Hence, this study confirms that the slimmer youth tend to leave plate waste and waste more food per capita per meal. This study is the first attempt to analyze food wastage from the perspective of BMI in China to our best knowledge, and it provides a unique viewpoint for understanding young people’s food wastage.

Food Loss and Waste Actions: Experiences of the Costa Rican Food Loss and Waste Reduction Network

Food Loss and Waste (FLW) reduction and prevention can be crucial entry points to achieve sustainable food systems. However, the complexity of this problem poses the need for multistakeholder and multidimensional approaches. The Costa Rican FLW Reduction Network has been working since 2014 as a collaborative platform that brings together different sectors and disciplines to promote a change through communication and awareness, alliances, and research and innovation. The purpose of our study was to share the experience of Costa Rica in regards to the applied FLW actions and its catalytic effect on FLW innovation. The study was developed through a multimethod approach that included case studies, stakeholder analysis and literacy analysis to provide an overall assessment of the strategy as input for further efforts in this matter. The main findings indicate that collaborative actions among institutions and sectors are vital in promoting FLW reduction; however, FLW innovation is still at an inception phase where financial resources and policy barriers remain as aspects to address. In conclusion, the Costa Rica FLW Network represents an asset to trigger ongoing and future actions, and approaches like an integrated innovation ecosystem must be promoted.

School canteens and the food waste challenge: Which public initiatives can help?

Foodservice is estimated to produce 12% of the total food waste in Europe, and it is a major target for policies against food waste. The amount of food lost during foodservice operations has been assessed in the literature as a figure ranging from 10% to 41% of the quantity prepared in the kitchen, either as non-served food or as plate waste. In this paper, a systematization of the current initiatives against food waste in EU school foodservice is provided. This background is used as a base to discuss the results of a direct assessment of food waste conducted in 78 primary schools in Italy, where 28.6% of the food prepared was not consumed by the diners. Part of it was saved for reuse, while the rest was disposed and treated as organic waste or, to a lesser extent, as unsorted waste. The flows of food waste, represented by a Sankey diagram, show that some actions may be implemented in order to save more food from disposal; for example, implementing donation programmes for non-served food or using doggy bags to avoid the disposal of plate waste. A greater effort shall be put on preventive actions, aimed at avoiding the generation of food waste; in this sense regular monitoring at schools may act as a first preventive measure as it can increase the awareness of students, teachers and foodservice staff over the issue of food waste.

Preventing food waste in subsidy-based university dining systems: An artificial neural network-aided model under uncertainty

Food waste planning at universities is often a complex matter due to the large volume of food and variety of services. A major portion of university food waste arises from dining systems including meal booking and distribution. Although dining systems have a significant role in generating food wastes, few studies have designed prediction models that could control such wastes based on reservation data and behavior of students at meal delivery times. To fill this gap, analyzing meal booking systems at universities, the present study proposed a new model based on machine learning to reduce the food waste generated at major universities that provide food subsidies. Students' reservation and their presence or absence at the dining hall (show/no-show rate) at mealtime were incorporated in data analysis. Given the complexity of the relationship between the attributes and the uncertainty observed in user behavior, a model was designed to analyze definite and random components of demand. An artificial neural network-based model designed for demand prediction provided a two-step prediction approach to dealing with uncertainty in actual demand. In order to estimate the lowest total cost based on the cost of waste and the shortage penalty cost, an uncertainty-based analysis was conducted at the final step of the research. This study formed a framework that could reduce the food waste volume by up to 79% and control the penalty and waste cost in the case study. The model was investigated with cost analysis and the results proved its efficiency in reducing total cost.

A systematic literature review on food waste/loss prevention and minimization methods

Several initiatives have been proposed to address food waste and loss issues and support stakeholders throughout the food chain. However, the literature still lacks a review paper that compiles methods, practices, and solutions to reduce food waste and loss. With the goal of filling this gap, this paper aims to compile and gather food waste and loss prevention and minimization methods to support decision-makers and other stakeholders along the food chain. Through a systematic literature review, we have outlined research findings and empirical studies on food waste and loss prevention and minimization methods previously published, studied, implemented, and discussed in the scientific literature worldwide. A sample of 84 articles was analyzed. As a result, this study provides a bibliometric analysis of the sample and a classification of the prevention and minimization methods found in the articles in 10 fields established by the authors. A coverage analysis of empirical studies was also performed, cross-checking the data with the type of food extracted from the case studies application. Lastly, suggestions of future research extracted from the articles were compiled into a research agenda to indicate trends and support academics, researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders involved in the food chain to develop and study practices to minimize and prevent food waste and loss. The main contribution of this study is an inventory of the theoretical and practical methods of prevention and minimization of food waste and loss found in the literature, grouping them according to their similarities, to support stakeholders improving actions to reduce food waste in cities, farms, retail, and other sustainable ecosystems.

Food Choice and Waste in University Dining Commons-A Menus of Change University Research Collaborative Study

The purpose of this multi-campus research was to investigate the relationships of food type and personal factors with food choice, consumption, and waste behaviors of college students at all-you-care-to-eat dining facilities. The amount of food taken and wasted was indirectly measured in units relative to the plate size using before and after photos taken by the diners themselves. Animal protein and mixed dishes (e.g., stir fry, sandwich) took up more of diners’ plate space and these items were correlated to both greater hedonic appeal as well as a higher likelihood of the item being pre-plated. Greater confidence in liking an item before choosing it was correlated to a larger portion being taken. Finally, increased satisfaction with the meal and frequency of visiting the dining commons was correlated to less food waste. Understanding these potential food choice drivers can help dining facilities better target healthier meals to diners while reducing food waste.

Consumer Food Waste Behavior among Emerging Adults: Evidence from China

With the aggravation of global climate change, the issue of environmental protection has become the focus of global attention, and countries all over the world have devoted themselves to the sustainable development of resources to reduce the negative impact of the environment on human society. Reducing the resource waste is an important aspect of the sustainable development, among which food waste is a critical part. According to a report of the United Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 35% of food is wasted during consumption. Although households are the main contributors to food waste during consumption, the situation in university canteens cannot be ignored. As universities have a high degree of social influence, some policies and activities are piloted in universities, and then, promoted to society after achieving significant results. In future social development, the food waste behavior of consumers at the early stage of adulthood will have a significant impact on society. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the factors that lead to food waste by early adulthood consumers. This study focuses on food waste by end consumers and explores factors in the food waste behavior of the emerging adulthood consumer, which can be used as a reference for improving food waste in schools, governments, and other related industries in the future. The results show that the model of factors influencing the food waste behavior of emerging adulthood consumers established in this study is acceptable. According to the analysis results of the structural equation modeling (SEM), it can be seen that the influences of environmental concerns on the attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are ranked first, second, and third, respectively. While emerging adulthood consumers have a high degree of independence and self-awareness, schools, governments, media networks, and other related industries also need to establish a more complete system and form of cherishing food, in order to encourage emerging adulthood consumers to change their behavior and attitude spontaneously.

Food waste from a university campus in the Middle East: Drivers, composition, and resource recovery potential

Food waste is a pressing issue that imposes economic, social and environmental impacts on both developing and developed countries. This study analyzes quantitatively and qualitatively the generated food waste at various food outlets of a university campus in Qatar. It is a fundamental step to manage the issue of food waste from educational institutes. The investigation comprised four stages: screening, sampling, surveying, and synthesis. Food waste generation at the sampled locations was estimated at 329.5 kg/day or 80 t/year. Based on per sales estimates, total food waste was 980 g/sale and 757 g/sale at the student male and female housing complexes, respectively, equating to roughly one wasted meal for each sold meal. The majority of this waste was avoidable waste and the root cause for the excessive food waste generation was overproduction rather than consumer wastage. The study found that the main food provider, who primarily serves buffet style meals, lacks the proper tools to measure food waste generated at their cafeterias. Past experience was the primary tool to support the company's demand management estimation which has proven unsuccessful and highlights the need to not only educate the consumer but also food providers. Possible treatments routes are discussed based on food waste characterization findings.

Motivations and Actions to Prevent Food Waste among Young Italian Consumers

Food waste is a relevant global problem due to its consequences on food security, economy, and environmental sustainability. This study focuses, in detail, on finding the main motivation for food waste among the young and the principal actions to prevent it. The paper focuses on Italian reality, since Western countries are partly accountable for wasting large amounts of food. What is more, the focus has been shifted specifically on to the youths and young adults, as they are the portion of the population that are most inclined to waste food. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey performed on a sample of n = 904 Italian consumers. In line with previous research, the results of this study confirm that avoidable food waste comes from three main behavioural antecedents: over preparation, excessive purchase, and inappropriate conservation. The research shows that food waste cannot be reduced by just one-way from the consumers; rather, it goes both ways, between consumers and retailers. Therefore, only holding the consumers accountable and expecting them to solve it will not solve the problem of food waste; marketing and retailers should also consider ethics when it comes to food distribution.

Pro-Environmental Behaviour in Student Residences at Rhodes University, South Africa

Human behaviour is at the centre of most environmental problems; hence, the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour is considered to be a pathway towards sustainability. Despite the availability of insights gained from pro-environmental behaviour studies, mainly from household and workplace settings, a key question remains—can these insights be applied in university residence settings? Within university campuses, student residences are a major entity in sustainability debates because they are major consumers of resources including paper, water and energy with severe repercussions for university budgets and the environment. Using a questionnaire survey, this study explores reported pro-environmental behaviour and its determinants at Rhodes University, South Africa. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics where relevant. The findings show a high level of heterogeneity in reported pro-environmental behaviour, attributed to a suite of internal and external factors. Internal dispositional factors seemed to constrain students from acting pro-environmentally. This study highlights the need to encourage environmental behaviour in university residence settings by supporting the antecedents of and getting rid of barriers to pro-environmental actions.

Identification and modelling of risk factors for food waste generation in school and pre-school catering units

Public sector food service is a major contributor to food waste generation in Sweden, with schools, pre-schools, elderly care homes, hospitals etc., producing approximately 70,000 tons of food waste each year. Sweden has appropriate infrastructure for handling food waste in place, recycling nutrients and energy, but there is still great potential to move upwards in the waste hierarchy and prevent waste. An important step in designing waste reduction measures is to identify and quantify the importance of different risk factors, in order to start by solving the problems with the greatest potential benefit and the lowest cost. This study sought to identify and quantify risk factors for food waste generation in public sector canteens by correlation analyses and statistical modelling. The empirical material comprised food waste quantification data for 177 kitchens in the Swedish municipalities of Falun, Malmö, Sala, Uppsala and Örebro, supplemented with quantifiable information about the kitchens obtained using a questionnaire. According to the findings, plate waste in schools and pre-schools increases with children's age. Schools with older children could potentially reduce plate waste by introducing more structured lunch breaks. Plate waste also increases with dining hall capacity, potentially due to rising stress and noise levels. Both plate waste and serving waste increase with greater overproduction, as indicated by calculated portion size, and could be reduced by schools and pre-schools estimating their daily number of diners and their diners' food intake more accurately. As serving waste was significantly higher in satellite units (which bring in cooked food), due to lack of cooling and storage possibilities, than in production units (which cook, serve and sometimes deliver hot food), satellite units in particular would benefit from more accurate quantification of the food required on a daily basis. These findings were confirmed by multiple linear regression models, which explained >85% of the variation in plate, serving and total waste per portion. When used for quantification after changing the value of different factors, these models confirmed that the main factors influencing serving waste and total waste per portion were type of kitchen and rate of overproduction, while plate waste was mainly influenced by children's age and factors indicating a stressful dining environment.

Food wasters: Profiling consumers' attitude to waste food in Italy

Scientific literature suggests that in developed countries food is predominantly wasted at the consumption stage of the food supply chain. This study aims to profile consumers' attitude to waste food in Italy investigating households' behaviours leading to food waste generation by addressing what is being wasted and why it is wasted. The work is based on a survey performed in Italy on a heterogeneous sample of 3,087 respondents. A cluster analysis was performed to detect consumers' profiles. Results, based on self-reporting, allow to sketch different 'waster' types, providing a picture of food waste related to eating, shopping, and storage behaviours and suggesting a number of differences existing in terms of perceived quantities and causes of generated food waste. Out of seven profiles identified, four are the most representative ones in terms of size: the conscious-fussy type, who wastes because food doesn't smell or look good; the conscious-forgetful type, who forgets what is in the fridge or on the shelves; the frugal consumer who tends not to consume fruits and vegetables and declares to waste nothing (or almost nothing); and the exaggerated cook, who overbuys and overcooks. Profiling specific waste types can help to better understand if groups with common characteristics exist, what their specific features are and what levers can be employed to stimulate a change in their behaviour.