Pilot actions to raise awareness to reduce food waste
Pupils as the generation of the future are the most important people to reach when addressing change in behavior that effects our resources like water, nutrients wasted along with food. Pilot actions in schools are happening in Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic. Household are with 30% the biggest contributors for food waste, so we also have pilot actions addressing food waste in households.
Food Waste Prevention in Viennese Schools (PA9)
The pilot action on food waste prevention in Viennese schools aims at fostering pupils’
ability to think critically and to adopt a proactive attitude by:
ability to think critically and to adopt a proactive attitude by:
- raising pupils’ awareness of the problem of food waste,
- increasing their knowledge about reasons for and impacts of food wastage as well as food waste prevention measures,
- pointing them towards specific options for actions that are within their sphere of influence by teaching them new skills related to evaluation of food quality and understanding of food durability labels, proper food storage, food preservation options, or purchase planning.
Therefore the STREFOWA teaching material is tested, evaluated and optimized. The modular materials are targeted for pupils aged 10 to 14.
Food Waste Prevention in schools in the Czech Republic (PA10)
Most of the systemic challenges of eliminating food waste stem from certain mindsets and approaches that in turn come from the loss of our value for food. For many of us, it’s so accessible that we hardly think about it. Where better to start changing mindsets than with our youngest and the schools they go to?
The goal of this pilot action is to do research, define recommendations and provide tools to prevent and reduce food waste at schools and ultimately lower the connected GHG emissions. Two primary schools and their canteens will take part in a research study based on which we are able to create recommendations for canteens and pupils/teachers on how to reduce food waste.
The canteens will implement recommendations, and results will be analyzed and best practices determined and documented to be transferred to 10 more school canteens in the following school year.
The part with pupils/teachers will be connected to an educational program which will include mini projects lead by students to find ways to prevent and reduce food waste in their classrooms and at home.
Focusing on schools as a whole is an important aspect of the pilot action. We will be working with canteens and with pupils and teachers to ensure there is support and grounded understanding among everyone taking part in this action.
The goal of this pilot action is to do research, define recommendations and provide tools to prevent and reduce food waste at schools and ultimately lower the connected GHG emissions. Two primary schools and their canteens will take part in a research study based on which we are able to create recommendations for canteens and pupils/teachers on how to reduce food waste.
The canteens will implement recommendations, and results will be analyzed and best practices determined and documented to be transferred to 10 more school canteens in the following school year.
The part with pupils/teachers will be connected to an educational program which will include mini projects lead by students to find ways to prevent and reduce food waste in their classrooms and at home.
Focusing on schools as a whole is an important aspect of the pilot action. We will be working with canteens and with pupils and teachers to ensure there is support and grounded understanding among everyone taking part in this action.
Food waste prevention on consumer level in Austria (PA 12)
It is known that especially in industrialized parts of the world such as Europe, Northern America and
the industrialized parts of Asia there are high food waste amounts on household level. In Austria
studies on the composition and the volume of food waste showed that food waste accounts for 25%
of residual waste. 43% of the food waste is considered to be unavoidable preparatory residues (such
as peels or bones), while 57% is considered to be either partly avoidable or completely avoidable -
thrown away because of wrong storage, misinterpretation of expiration dates, bad purchase planning
or simply because it was forgotten.
There have already been various projects and initiatives on the prevention of food waste at national
and international levels, which aimed to counteract food waste at the household level. However, the
disposed quantities are still high. Long-term success and a notable reduction of food waste at
household level can only be achieved through a change in the consumer's consciousness and habits
by constantly reminding them as well as keeping the topic up to date.
Therefore, in pilot action 12 the focus is laid on food waste at consumer level. It aims to generate
awareness campaigns and create measures to reduce food waste in households that are tailor-made
for the consumers present needs.
As a first step for the development of waste prevention measures a precise evaluation of actual
barriers and existing awareness levels will be performed. Therefore, a large-scale online survey will
be developed and conducted in March and April 2017 in Austria. The results will show if there are
any lacks of knowledge concerning issues like right storage of food or handling of expiration dates.
Furthermore, it is of interest which measures for the prevention of food waste in households are
already being used and what kind of measures are still unknown or haven’t been used yet out of
various reasons.
the industrialized parts of Asia there are high food waste amounts on household level. In Austria
studies on the composition and the volume of food waste showed that food waste accounts for 25%
of residual waste. 43% of the food waste is considered to be unavoidable preparatory residues (such
as peels or bones), while 57% is considered to be either partly avoidable or completely avoidable -
thrown away because of wrong storage, misinterpretation of expiration dates, bad purchase planning
or simply because it was forgotten.
There have already been various projects and initiatives on the prevention of food waste at national
and international levels, which aimed to counteract food waste at the household level. However, the
disposed quantities are still high. Long-term success and a notable reduction of food waste at
household level can only be achieved through a change in the consumer's consciousness and habits
by constantly reminding them as well as keeping the topic up to date.
Therefore, in pilot action 12 the focus is laid on food waste at consumer level. It aims to generate
awareness campaigns and create measures to reduce food waste in households that are tailor-made
for the consumers present needs.
As a first step for the development of waste prevention measures a precise evaluation of actual
barriers and existing awareness levels will be performed. Therefore, a large-scale online survey will
be developed and conducted in March and April 2017 in Austria. The results will show if there are
any lacks of knowledge concerning issues like right storage of food or handling of expiration dates.
Furthermore, it is of interest which measures for the prevention of food waste in households are
already being used and what kind of measures are still unknown or haven’t been used yet out of
various reasons.
Food waste prevention in tourism and food preparation (PA8)
Throughout the EU-28 about 88 million tons of food per year, or 173 kg per capita, is wasted along the food supply chain increasing pressure on valuable resources such as land, water and energy (Stenmarck et al., 2016). Food waste in the food service sector, which is an important supply component in the tourism industry, has been identified as one of the main sources of food wastage, mounting to almost 11 million tons of food waste in the EU-28 during 2012 (Stenmarck et al., 2016).
Nevertheless, current levels of food waste generation in this sector is associated with high uncertainties due to the lack of reliable, country-specific data. Improved and more detailed information on the actual magnitude of food waste and the potential for reduction is thus crucial not only from an environmental perspective, but also from a financial and social point of view. Within the food service sector, sustainable measures need to be implemented in order to minimize food waste and to improve efficiency.
Even though a few studies have been carried out in the Austrian food service industry (e.g. research initiative “United Against Waste” (UAW), which investigated the food waste generation of 50 Austrian food service outlets including restaurants, hotels, workplace canteens and healthcare centers – Hrad et al., 2016), there is still a lack of data.
The pilot action on food waste prevention in tourism and food preparation attempts to fill part of the research gap, by focusing on the extent, composition and origin of food waste in the event catering business and hotel industry (e.g. international acting hotel groups) in Vienna.
The aim of the pilot action is to reduce the amount of food waste in the selected hotels and catering business and to provide guidelines for food waste prevention in this business sector. Building on previous research (e.g. Hrad et al., 2016) the amount, type and origin of food waste in 5 hotels and 5 catering businesses (in each case 2 – 3 events) in Vienna will be assessed before and after the implementation of avoidance measures. The output of this pilot action will be used in a guideline on food waste prevention activities in the food service sector and will be accessible for the broad public and interested stakeholder groups.
Nevertheless, current levels of food waste generation in this sector is associated with high uncertainties due to the lack of reliable, country-specific data. Improved and more detailed information on the actual magnitude of food waste and the potential for reduction is thus crucial not only from an environmental perspective, but also from a financial and social point of view. Within the food service sector, sustainable measures need to be implemented in order to minimize food waste and to improve efficiency.
Even though a few studies have been carried out in the Austrian food service industry (e.g. research initiative “United Against Waste” (UAW), which investigated the food waste generation of 50 Austrian food service outlets including restaurants, hotels, workplace canteens and healthcare centers – Hrad et al., 2016), there is still a lack of data.
The pilot action on food waste prevention in tourism and food preparation attempts to fill part of the research gap, by focusing on the extent, composition and origin of food waste in the event catering business and hotel industry (e.g. international acting hotel groups) in Vienna.
The aim of the pilot action is to reduce the amount of food waste in the selected hotels and catering business and to provide guidelines for food waste prevention in this business sector. Building on previous research (e.g. Hrad et al., 2016) the amount, type and origin of food waste in 5 hotels and 5 catering businesses (in each case 2 – 3 events) in Vienna will be assessed before and after the implementation of avoidance measures. The output of this pilot action will be used in a guideline on food waste prevention activities in the food service sector and will be accessible for the broad public and interested stakeholder groups.
References:
Stenmarck, A., Jensen, C., Quested, T. & Moates, G. (2016): Estimates of European food waste levels, FUSION EU project report supported by the European Commission (FP7), Coordination and Support Action – CSA, March, Stockholm, Sweden, http://www.eu-fusions.org/index.php/publications (April 23, 2016).
Hrad, M.; Ottner, R.; Lebersorger, S.; Schneider, F. und Obersteiner, G. (2016): Vermeidung von Lebensmittelabfall in Gastronomie, Beherbergung und Großküchen – Erweiterung weitere Betriebe – Endbericht. Wien: Selbstverlag. Verfügbar unter: https://united‐againstwaste.at/wp‐content/uploads/2015/05/Endbericht_BOKU_2016_02_19.pdf?fa6be0
Stenmarck, A., Jensen, C., Quested, T. & Moates, G. (2016): Estimates of European food waste levels, FUSION EU project report supported by the European Commission (FP7), Coordination and Support Action – CSA, March, Stockholm, Sweden, http://www.eu-fusions.org/index.php/publications (April 23, 2016).
Hrad, M.; Ottner, R.; Lebersorger, S.; Schneider, F. und Obersteiner, G. (2016): Vermeidung von Lebensmittelabfall in Gastronomie, Beherbergung und Großküchen – Erweiterung weitere Betriebe – Endbericht. Wien: Selbstverlag. Verfügbar unter: https://united‐againstwaste.at/wp‐content/uploads/2015/05/Endbericht_BOKU_2016_02_19.pdf?fa6be0
Food waste avoidance at meeting point of the trade and customers (PA3)
The goal of pilot action: we would like to increase the environmental awareness of customer, preventing the production of food waste by changing their buying habits. Expected result: quantity of the food waste will decrease in the households and the commercial units in long term.
The idea: the hostesses are going to offer products with different „use by date” for the customers to taste it. With this method, we can show that they can contribute to reduction of the food waste if they are much more careful. We would explain that the product which has close to the end of „use by date” is eatable and comply with quality conditions. If we know that we are going to use it in short term, then we can safely choose the products with near „use by date”. The hostesses will offer different dairy and cold cuts products. The customers have possibility to fill a short questionnaire about „use by date” and the tested product. The goal of questionnaire: to show that there isn’t significant difference between near and long-time of „use by date” in flavour and texture. Another goal of questionnaire: we need some information if the people are ready to change their shopping habits after they learn alternative options.
The pilot will be a well thought longer campaign of the first step, which may be expanded in all of the country.
Supplements for the pilot test:
Supplements for the pilot test:
- blind test for costumer / game;
- precise product definition – in 2 different product groups
- understandable, catchy slogan
- leaflet about „best before date” and „use by date” and the project
- after the pilot we will publish the results, for example: „Based on 200 buyers opinion all products are same you can choose any one of them!”
- by location 2-2 hostesses (3 location in Miskolc)
- we would get measurable results from reduced amount of food waste after half of a year
PA7 Food waste prevention in tourism and food preparation (IT)
The Pilot Action started analysing various researches and studies on the subject of food waste and its reduction in order to identify a preliminary list of good practices, to be defined in the next phases, in particular through a survey carried out to a sample of hotel operators. The definitive list will be used to choose the best practices to be tested in the pilot test. This analysis produced a Feasibility study on Food Waste prevention from food preparation.
