Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology

Analysis of the regulations concerning circular economy and its relationship to the reduction of food loss and waste on an international level: A review

The term food loss and waste (FLW) refers to discarded food during the different stages of the food chain. Food loss occurs during the initial stages of the food chain, and food waste occurs during the final stages. The relation between FLW and circular economy (CE) is particularly important for countries which are beginning to implement actions or regulations on this topic. These proposals may have an impact in strategic sectors of their economy. The objective of this review document was to analyse the regulations of FLW and CE in some countries located throughout the European Union, Asia, Africa and Latin America. To fulfil this objective, FLW and CE regulations were identified and analysed in 12 countries located in the aforementioned regions. The analysis showed that France, Spain, Japan and Uruguay included objectives related to FLW in their CE legislations focusing on food waste reduction, whereas China, Chile, Argentina and Mexico did not include FLW in their CE legislations. African countries did not have CE legislations in place yet. France and Japan have had more success in the reduction of FLW. In conclusion, CE regulation should include FLW regulation to achieve more efficiency at reducing and reusing these residues.

Quantification of household food waste in Greece to establish the 2021 national baseline and methodological implications

The aim of this study was to present the national-level quantification of household food waste in Greece for 2021, in alignment with the legal framework of the European Union (EU) for measuring and reporting food waste. An online diary survey was conducted in spring 2021, utilizing pre-tested semi-structured food waste logs. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze food waste levels and generalized estimating equations (GEE) were performed to assess the influence of diary duration on food waste levels. The final representative sample consisted of 1,133 households. At the national level, the average per-capita annual total food waste generation rate was 86.5 ± 64.5 kg. The predominant share of food waste (47 %) was inedible plant-derived parts, reflecting underlying consumption patterns, whereas 40 % was once-edible food parts. Particularly, vegetables, fruits, and bakery products were the most discarded once-edible food items. Moreover, no statistically significant difference was found between food waste levels across the diary entries, with reporting periods varying from one day to one week. This study marks the first implementation of the EU legislation for household food waste measurement and reporting in Greece. Moreover, the study results indicate that the utilization of diaries with shorter reporting periods than one week, with a sufficiently large sample, may be an appropriate method for measuring nationwide levels, enhancing compliance while mitigating social desirability bias and reducing attrition. Future research should delve into the behaviors driving food waste, motives for prevention in different geographic and cultural contexts, and optimal diary reporting durations.

Quantification and economic assessment of surplus bread in Italian small-scale bakeries: An explorative study

The generation of bread waste at suppliers and retailers is often linked to the production of surplus bread. This study reports the results of the first direct quantification and economic assessment of surplus bread conducted in Italy, involving a panel of 12 bakeries and their branches located in the Lazio region, which compiled a daily diary for 5 months. They are small-scale bakeries which reflect the typical structure of the Italian businesses in the bakery sector, producing fresh bread and selling it directly to consumers. The surplus bread measured during the study consists of 6,694 kg in total, with an average quantity of 4.83 kg/day per bakery. Studying the three main products (common bread, focaccia bread and bread rolls), the average rate of surplus is respectively 5.88 %, 3.99 % and 5.28 % of the production. The corresponding economic loss represents, on average, 5.44 % of the daily turnover. A set of factors seems to exert highest influence on the generation of surplus, as the range of production, location and number of customers. When surplus bread occurs, in 63 % of the cases it is managed on alternative routes to avoid disposal. Even if detected surplus bread does not necessarily become waste, it indeed represents a big loss for bakeries.

Factors affecting food waste: A bibliometric review on the household behaviors

Sustainability issues such as food insecurity, climate change, land degradation, economic development and food waste are the actual most important challenges at the global level. Among them, the food waste (FW) challenge has a great magnitude, emphasizing the importance of examining this issue. Specifically, there is a need to focus on the household level. Thus, this study aims to investigate and identify the main factors influencing FW household behaviors on which policymakers and stakeholders could outline specific and sustainable strategies. Starting from a large number of published studies on this subject with a similar aim but focusing on specific Countries or contexts, the goal of our study is achieved through the implementation of a systematic literature review followed by a bibliometric review using the VOSviewer software. The selected query generated a total of 235 matching papers from which only 111 papers were collected for the bibliometric review because of the inclusion criteria. The analysis showed the existence of four major research strands: the largest one analyses the antecedents of behavior during food management, including the implementation of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Other detected topics are the economic impact of FW, the effects generated by the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer behaviors, and finally, the environmental and social effects of FW. The objective of this study is to investigate and identify the main factors influencing FW household behaviors. The obtained output represents useful information for policymakers and stakeholders to outline specific and sustainable strategies to reduce FW.

Characterization of household food waste in Italy: Three year comparative assessment and evaluation of seasonality effects

In the present paper, the results of the first comparative assessment of household food waste in Italy are reported with a timeframe of three years coupled with an evaluation of seasonality effects. To pursue the aim of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve consumer food waste by 2030, the Italian Observatory on Food Surplus, Recovery and Waste carried out two surveys in 2021 (July and November) to characterize household food waste and to evaluate the seasonality effects. Data were collected with a validated questionnaire. For monitoring purposes, data collected in July 2021 were compared with those collected in July 2018. In three years, waste increased from 187.2 to 203.8 g per capita per week (p = 0.00). Fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, bread, milk, yogurt, and non-alcoholic beverages, were the most wasted. In July the level of waste was higher for fruit (p = 0.00) while in November was higher for potato products (p = 0.04), pasta (p = 0.00), rice (p = 0.04), legumes (p = 0.01), and soups (p = 0.04). Data collected in July 2021 showed that retired people (p = 0.04), families with children (p = 0.01), particularly young children (9-13 years old) (p = 0.02), wasted less while who live in large town areas (p = 0.00), people with self-perceived limited monetary resources (p = 0.01) and mono-component families (p = 0.00) wasted more. The findings of the present work showed that there are specific population groups that wasted more with a gap between the intentions and the actions. The present data have a particular value posing the roots for the establishment of a food waste surveillance system in Italy.

Valorization of Food Waste as Animal Feed: A Step towards Sustainable Food Waste Management and Circular Bioeconomy

The growing population and healthy food demands have led to a rise in food waste generation, causing severe environmental and economic impacts. However, food waste (FW) can be converted into sustainable animal feed, reducing waste disposal and providing an alternative protein source for animals. The utilization of FW as animal feed presents a solution that not only tackles challenges pertaining to FW management and food security but also lessens the demand for the development of traditional feed, which is an endeavour that is both resource and environmentally intensive in nature. Moreover, this approach can also contribute to the circular economy by creating a closed-loop system that reduces the use of natural resources and minimizes environmental pollution. Therefore, this review discusses the characteristics and types of FW, as well as advanced treatment methods that can be used to recycle FW into high-quality animal feed and its limitations, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of using FW as animal feed. Finally, the review concludes that utilization of FW as animal feed can provide a sustainable solution for FW management, food security, preserving resources, reducing environmental impacts, and contributing to the circular bioeconomy.

Determinants of Food Waste from Household Food Consumption: A Case Study from Field Survey in Germany

According to FAO about one-third of the food worldwide is discarded. The economic, environmental, and social (ethical) impact of food loss and waste (FLW) is substantial. Food waste (FW) at the household level in high income countries makes a significant share of total FLW. Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals advocates a 50% reduction of the global per capita FW by 2030. The German government has agreed to this goal. Across all sectors, about half of the waste is avoidable. To achieve a reduction of FLW, information on the current level, its causes, and the economic costs of its reduction are necessary. Depending on the definitions and methodologies to measure FLW, studies have come to different results. This study estimates and analyses avoidable and total household FW and for the first time its determinants in Germany. On average, 59.6 kg per capita of food is wasted annually, of which 49% is avoidable FW. The main causes of household FW are eating habits, shopping behaviour, involvement in FW, and retail promotions.

The Impact of the Nutritional Knowledge of Polish Students Living Outside the Family Home on Consumer Behavior and Food Waste

Food waste remains a major problem for the world and food security. Despite the fact that consumers are significant producers of food waste, little research attention has been paid to young people who are in college and living away from the family home. The present study aimed to assess food waste among college students living away from the family home, taking into account the nutritional knowledge acquired during college. In addition, the goal was to compare how nutritional knowledge affects food waste and consumer behavior in the study group. Descriptive statistics were performed on behaviors with food management at home, as well as shopping planning and self-shopping at the store, for the total respondents, students with nutritional knowledge and students without such knowledge. A chi-square test was performed to show whether the field of study influences the frequency of food throwing away and the appropriate management of excess food. Spearman's rank correlations were calculated for the frequency of food discarding, the frequency and amount of shopping and the field of study. The results indicate that the field of study determined food discarding and appropriate food management (p < 0.05), while it was found that fermented dairy beverages, fruits and vegetables and bread were the most frequently discarded foods in both study groups (p < 0.05). Students with nutritional knowledge were less likely to throw away food compared to students without nutritional knowledge and were better at managing excess food.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed food waste perception and behavior? Evidence from Italian consumers

Food waste represents a multi-sectoral issue and influences the economy, society and environment. Considering that over 50% of food waste is generated from household consumption, the issue has been included among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of halving its quantity by 2030. However, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed several variations in the agri-food industry in terms of food manufacturing, storage and distribution, changing at the same time food access, food consumption and food waste behavior. The present paper, through an online-based questionnaire among 831 respondents from Italy and the application of the cumulative logit model, investigates consumer behavior after the lockdown with reference to unpredictable lifestyles, improvements in smart food delivery and never-experienced time management. Results illustrate that always-at-home consumers (forced to stay at home 24 h a day) are more likely to perceive food waste and reduce its amount, whereas discontinuous smart working makes food purchase, preparation and consumption activities even more stressful and complex. Furthermore, smart food delivery tends to increase consumers' awareness of meals, improving buying decisions and indirectly reducing food waste generation. The unjustifiable prevalence of household food waste represents a major barrier to the achievement of food security, health insurance and hunger reduction, but also the most promising entry point to stress in the achievement of private and public benefits. Thus, the active role of education among young generations must be enhanced.

Life Cycle Assessment Model of a Catering Product: Comparing Environmental Impacts for Different End-of-Life Scenarios

This paper assesses the primary energy and environmental impacts of a restaurant main course product’s lifecycle, especially focusing on end-of-life (EoL) stage. In the first step, a cradle-to-grave complex life cycle assessment (LCA) model of the product has been set up from the extraction of the required raw materials through the preparation, cooking and use phase to the end-of-life. In the second step, three scenarios (landfilling, incineration, and composting) were compared for the generated food waste in the end-of-life stage given that one of the biggest challenges in waste management is the optimal management of food waste. We calculated eleven environmental impact categories for the examined food product with the help of GaBi 9.0 software. During our research work, the primary energy was examined in each phase. In the third step, a comparison between the traditional and “sous vide” cooking technologies has been created to optimise of the cooking/frying life cycle phase. This paper basically answers three main questions: (1) How can the main environmental impacts and primary energy throughout the whole life cycle of the examined product be characterised? (2) What methods can optimise the different life cycle stages while reducing and recycling energy and material streams? and (3) what is the most optimal waste management scenario at the end-of-life stage? Based on the analysis, the highest environmental impact comes from the preparation phase and the end-of-life scenario for the traditional incineration caused almost twice the environmental load as the landfilling of the food waste. Composting has the lowest environmental impact, and the value of the primary energy for composting is very low. The sous vide cooking technique is advantageous, and the continuously controlled conditions result in a more reliable process. These research results can be used to design sustainable cooking and catering with lower environmental impacts and energy resources in catering units.

Fighting Food Waste by Law: Making Sense of the Chinese Approach

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted the Anti-food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China in April 2021 to guarantee grain security, conserve resources, and protect the environment. We pursue three research questions: Why has China implemented a law with sanctions to reduce food waste, and why now? Why does the law target the catering industry? To answer these questions, we collected primary data through semi-structured interviews with government officials, as well as secondary data through recorded interviews available online with officials of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) and food waste activists, as well as NPCSC conference reports. We find a legal approach with sanctions was necessary since cultural aspects, specifically conventional Chinese dining habits and pop culture, are difficult to regulate through instruments without sanctions. In addition, we find the Chinese law focuses on the catering industry for a few reasons: (1) More waste is generated by the catering industry than households, (2) waste from the catering industry is easier to monitor than household waste, and (3) this was a response to citizen requests collected during the Anti-food Waste Law public consultation process.

HoReCa Food Waste and Sustainable Development Goals—A Systemic View

A significant share of food waste originates in the food services domain and HoReCa sector. Organizational improvements leading to the decrease of food waste and related costs in HoReCa are needed to make progress in this issue. A systems engineering approach was applied to examine the links between food waste generated in the HoReCa industry and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A literature review discovered two dimensions of actions leading to decreasing food waste in HoReCa; i.e., actions triggered by companies and by authorities (e.g., governmental policies). Additionally, customers and society were also considered. A framework is proposed to explicitly illustrate the dependencies of different micro actions devoted to food waste reduction in HoReCa in support of the SDGs. The other dimension of this framework is macro policies and their impact on SDGs. To increase food waste reduction awareness and collaboration, stakeholders on both the macro (launched by authorities for the whole sector) and micro (initiated by single organizations on their own) levels must work together. The results of this research will be useful in coordinating the efforts of all (consumers, HoReCa companies and suppliers, policymakers and administrations on different levels) involved in the supply chain of food production and consumption.

An Analysis of Food Waste in Czech Households-A Contribution to the International Reporting Effort

Food waste originating in households in the Czech Republic is an important but unknown issue. Due to the country's membership among the most developed economies (European Union, OECD) and its commitments towards UN Sustainable Development Goals, the government must, inter alia, significantly reduce household food waste. However, reliable data and indicators based on internationally agreed approaches and methods have been missing so far. This article brings original results from a survey comprising over 400 Czech households based on the kitchen diaries method showing that, on average, surveyed households discarded 2.6 kg (1.1 kg per capita) weekly. After extrapolation, the total food waste was estimated to be 135.7 kg per household or 57.1 kg per capita annually. Half of the total food waste from surveyed households was thrown into municipal bins for mixed waste. Despite a relatively low total food waste stream, its disposal needs substantial improvement to meet national and international regulations as well as sustainability criteria.

Households’ Food Waste Behavior at Local Scale: A Cluster Analysis after the COVID-19 Lockdown

The reduction of food waste, especially in households where more than half of its global quantity is generated, has become an increasing economic, social and environmental concern, and represents one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals within the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. In this context, the COVID-19 lockdown has significantly changed life, work and food consumption habits all over the world, highlighting food waste as a multi-sectorial issue. This paper explores current attitudes, perception and behavioral patterns related to food waste reduction at domestic consumption at the local scale (Apulia region, Italy), with the aim of identifying different types of “food wasters”. Through an online questionnaire and the application of a k-means clustering model, the authors focus on four emerging constructs in terms of food consumption and food waste habits after the COVID-19 lockdown at household level. Among three theoretical clusters, results have highlighted: (i) the paradox of the “green wasters”, which declared a high level of awareness of the food waste issue but also generates huge amounts of thrown away food; (ii) the “positive unawareness” of the “red wasters”, which have a slight notion of environment and sustainability but waste low quantities of food; (iii) the consistency of the “blue wasters”, which know of the food waste issue and convert theory into practice.

The Effect of Consumer Perception on Food Waste Behavior of Urban Households in China

Food waste has become a global problem, causing widespread concern in all sectors of society. Many scholars and institutions have researched this issue from different perspectives, but theoretical and empirical research on food waste from the perspective of consumer perception is still limited. Therefore, this study constructs a theoretical framework based on food waste behavior of households and empirically analyzes the effect of consumer perception on food waste by 273 Chinese urban households eating at home. The reliable urban household food waste data are based on a combination of household questionnaire surveys, bookkeeping surveys, weighing surveys, and semi-structured interviews in 2018. The survey site is Zhengzhou City in Henan Province. The results show that the higher urban household consumer perception positive index, the smaller the amount of food waste per capita per meal, and the higher urban household consumer perception negative index, the greater the amount of food waste per capita per meal. These results suggest consumer perception affects urban household food waste behavior significantly. We need to encourage consumers to form a joint effort to change consumer perception about food waste in order to reducing food waste.