At the retail level, 25% of sellable food is wasted, and perishable foods account for 72% of food waste in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the food waste reduction strategies used by supermarket perishable food department managers, which are covered under the Good Samaritan Food Donation Acts (state and federal). The participant population was comprised of 17 managers who are responsible for perishable foods departments (bakery, deli, meat, dairy, and produce) at local, regional, and national supermarkets in Midland, Michigan. Goal systems theory served as the conceptual framework lens for which the findings of this study are viewed. Data collected centered around long interviews and publicly available company documents. Interviews and field notes, including member checking, were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software. Using methodological triangulation of these data sources, 3 themes emerged from the data analysis: the knowledge level of participants relative to the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, factors that influence food waste and management strategy, and existing food waste reduction strategies. Most front-line managers are not aware of the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. Factors that influence food waste include sell-by dates, personal bias, and food handling regulations. Existing food waste reduction strategies include donations, price reductions, stock rotation, and in-store repurposing. Positive social change may result from the results of this study if food waste can be further reduced or more food redirected to the needy. The study findings may be useful to supermarket managers as they consider the protection at the state and federal levels that the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act offers.

Global nations are awakening to the realisation and manifestation of actual food insecurity. Voices which advocate for food security have always been there but were overshadowed by corporate ignorance and overpopulation. Corporate food waste plays a major role in contributing to food insecurity although the spotlight is hardly put on them. As the economic hub of South Africa, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) must take the lead in rethinking food waste reduction strategies in food corporations selling fruits and vegetables where the most waste occurs in the country. The level of fruit and vegetable wastage should decline in order to counter the adverse effects of food waste. The aim of this study is to establish strategic ways to decrease fruit and vegetable wastage at corporate level in the CoJ. This is achieved by determining contributing factors to food waste including improving food waste reduction models with the intervention and collaboration of food and wholesale stores as well as government. Face-to-face interviews, online surveys and a case study were methods used to answer the study objective. Responses from the field work show that many fruit and vegetable customers opt for conventional or ‘ordinary’ looking foods than ‘wonky’ looking ones. Also, many of the food stores do not have food waste reduction models to guide them, leading to a lot of food being dumped. Furthermore, the food health and safety criteria seem to be a leading contributor to food waste. These results indicate that food waste reduction is also important at pre-consumer stages. On this basis, it is recommended that a solid partnership between food corporations and Johannesburg city is formed in solidarity against food waste. Serious measures must be put in place in order to minimise fruit and vegetable wastage on both sides. These changes have potential to have an immense impact on the economy, environment and society. Further research should be undertaken to identify other factors that could be helpful in the quest to limit food waste in food corporations. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

The Master's thesis "Food Waste in the United States as an Issue of Federal Public Policy Making" analyzes the role of the federal government in dealing with food waste. It mainly focuses on federal legislation, but it also examines actions on the state level to illustrate the contrast between the two. In the thesis, the author examines the causes and sources of food waste, federal jurisdiction for intervention, and the history of passed legislation, as well as proposed legislation, and solutions. The main goal of the thesis is to demonstrate that federal involvement is fundamental in achieving any significant change, but so far has failed to do so. Primary literature consisting largely of bills, materials published by federal agencies, and reports by non-profit organizations were used to uncover the character of passed legislation. Academic secondary literature in the form of articles, reports, and factsheets offered context to understand the scope and impacts of the legislation. Analysis of those sources revealed federal authority to deal with the issue, as well as possible obstacles standing in the way of an extensive federal intervention. Research also showed that in the absence of federal action, some states have stepped up to introduce legislation to reduce food waste, but this legislation is...

Tidigare undersökningar visar att fettproblematiken i de kommunala ledningsnäten är ökande. Fettet som hamnar i avloppen leder till drift- och underhållskostnader, men leder även till problem för att nå de lagar och regler som ställs på VA-huvudmännen. Vad gör huvudmännen åt detta problem? Är användningen av bioteknik en lösning? Vilka åtgärder finns mot hushållen? I denna uppsats har en litteraturstudie genomförts om fett i avlopp, en enkätstudie för att undersöka privatpersoners kunskap om matavfallssortering och även intervjuer med personer från företag inom VA. Resultaten visar att det finns indikationer på att informationen ut till privatpersoner kan förbättras från enkätstudien. Informationen som finns på kommunens hemsida som är riktad mot privatpersoner är svåråtkomlig. Fett i avlopp är ofta ett osynligt problem för allmänheten. Därför krävs informationsinsatser för att minska uppkomsten. Användandet av fettavskiljare är en effektiv åtgärd så länge de är tillräckligt dimensionerade och töms varje månad. Bioteknikens påverkan i de kommunala ledningsnäten bör undersökas vidare i en större studie. / Previous studies show that problems with fat in the municipal sewer systems are increasing. The fat that ends up in the drain leads to costs related to operation and maintenance, as well as issues with reaching the laws and rules that the owners of the water- and wastewater infrastructure needs to apply. What are the sewer system owners doing against this problem? Is the use of biotechnology a part of the solution? What actions are available towards the households? In this study we have done a literature study about fat in sewers, a survey to investigate the publics knowledge about food waste separation. We have also performed interviews with companies within the field. The results from the survey shows indications that the information to the public can be improved. The accessible information aimed towards the public on the municipality's website is hard to reach. Fat in sewers is often an invisible problem to the individuals. Because of this efforts with information is needed to lower the emergence of fat. The use of grease traps is an effective solution if they are correctly dimensioned and are emptied every month. The effect that biotechnology have on the wastewater system ought to be investigated in a larger study.

M. Tech. (Department of Tourism and Integrated Communication, Faculty of Human Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Background: Food waste in the foodservice units, which include supermarket kitchens, occur due to factors related to the menu such as the lack of careful menu planning, improper procurement of the menu items, lack of menu execution and improper practices during the distribution of meals. Also, improper refrigeration and storage facilities at optimal temperatures to maintain product’s shelf life contribute to food waste in foodservice units. Food waste management is a significant challenge globally and locally. Purpose of the study: To determine the knowledge on food waste and waste prevention practices of food handlers in supermarket kitchens in Soweto. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive research design was chosen to determine the knowledge and food waste prevention practices of food handlers. The population was 11 branches of supermarkets represented by one of the five largest franchise stores in South Africa with approximately 20 to 35 food handlers employed by each supermarket (± 220 total) as indicated by management. Only three supermarkets gave permission for the study. From the population, the survey system calculator was used to calculate the sample size (n=107). Purposive sampling was used to select the supermarkets and participants were conveniently sampled. A questionnaire based on reviewed literature was developed by the researcher to determine food handlers’ knowledge on food waste. An existing observation checklist was also amended for this study. Before the observations began, the researcher was alert about the reactivity problems. Data were collected during different times of the month, and the observations were conducted at different times of the day in each supermarket to measure the behaviour that was demonstrated by food handlers in the morning and in the afternoon. Collective instances of food waste practices were observed. For this study, descriptive statistics were used (SPSS version 27) to analyse the food waste knowledge of food handlers in supermarket kitchens. Presentation of the results was in the form of graphs, tables and charts. A frequency table was used. Results: The demographic profile of the participants indicated that many participants were women (60.7%) and 39.3% were men. The results suggest that to a larger extent, the food handlers have limited or insufficient knowledge on the customer’s profiles. The general food waste knowledge results was good. However only 47.7% of the respondents agreed that food waste can led to environmental damage. The majority of the responds (61.7%) strongly agreed that careful menu planning contributes towards preventing food waste. Food handles knowledge on food storage was good. Food preparation results reflected a good level of knowledge regarding the appropriate methods of food preparation to minimise food waste. Food handlers’ knowledge results revealed that participants had a moderate (45.4%) level of knowledge of green practices. There was a high level of knowledge on waste separation (82.3%). None of the supermarkets participated in any of the compositing activities to manage food waste. The observation results revealed poor waste prevention practices as influenced by the lack of menu planning. Lastly, menu planning results indicated that staff members recognise the importance of careful menu planning (61.7 percent strongly agreed) contributing towards preventing food waste. Factors and actions that were observed on food handler’s practices were mostly correct (56.7%) and 43.3 percent of the practices were lacking during food production in the kitchen. The results of the current waste prevention practices of food handlers in supermarkets revealed the necessity to develop food handlers’ guidelines. Conclusion and recommendations: It is evident that the supermarket food handlers may not be aware of the importance of a menu as a communication tool, which has a major influence on all the aspects of the foodservice unit including food waste prevention and management. Food handlers’ level of knowledge findings on food waste did not align with practices that were observed during meals production in supermarket kitchens. The level of food handlers’ knowledge and waste prevention practices has been determined and the guidelines on food waste prevention practices for this target group has been developed as the basis for further studies.

Food waste in the food industry is often a result from the complex nature of food production. Uncertainty is always present as yields vary and as there is a chain of consumer demand from stores to producers. Food waste is a waste of both natural and economic resources affecting both the planet and the producer. The environmental impact is further affected as excessive production that leads to waste correlates to an excessive carbon footprint from excessive farming, transports, and processing. Additional environmental impacts are excessive land usage and overfertilization. In order to aid in the reduction of food waste in the food industry, this thesis evaluates a machine learning approach to predicting commercial waste. This thesis evaluates 11 predictive machine learning models on their predictability on commercial food waste at a large product producing company in the dairy industry. The models are evaluated according to the two metrics; Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). Based on the models’ RMSE and MAE metrics, the Random Forest model proved to be the most suitable model. It presented the best and statistically significant RMSE. It also produced the best MAE but without statistical significance to gradient boost and Support Vector Regression (SVR), indicating that the difference in performance between the models, according to MAE, are within a variation span that can occur due to chance. / Matsvinn inom matrindustirn är ofta ett resultat av komplexiteten inom matproduktion. Variation i skördar och efterfrågan genom hela kedjan av kunder och konsumenter är alla bidragande faktorer. Matsvinn är ett slöseri på både naturliga och ekonomiska resurser som påverkar både miljön och produktionsbolagets ekonomi negativt. Miljöpåverkan påverkas ytterligare då överproduktion som leder till avfall korrelerar med överdrivet utsfläpp av koldioxid från överdrivet jordbruk, transporter, och tillverkning. Överproduktion av mat leder även till överdriven använding av mark och övergödning. För att bidra till minskat matsvinn i matindustrin, utvärderar denna avhandling 11 prediktiva regressionsmodeller om deras förmåga att förutse matsvinn inom produktion vid en mejeriproducent. Modellerna utvärderas enligt två mått; RMSE och MAE. Baserat på modellernas RMSE-mått visade sig Random Forest vara den mest lämpliga modellen. Den producerade bäst och statistiskt signifikant RMSE. Modellen producerade även bäst MAE men icke signifikanta resultat till gradient boost och SVR indikerar skillnaden mellan dessa modellers prestanda, enligt MAE, ligger inom ramen för slumpmässig varians.

<p>The main project Dry preservation of food waste from households includes a new technique concerning drying and storage of dried biowaste as well as a study of the sorting of household waste and further usage of the dried biowaste. A question asked in the project is, can the dried biowaste be used as a soil amendment? If organic waste is used as a soil amendment, precaution concerning hygienic safety risks has to be accounted for. The objective of this M. Sc. Thesis Work was to first find a suitable method to attain hygienic safety through a literature study, to test and evaluate the method and to test if a method changes the composition or structure of the material. An existing recipe for food waste was developed and used throughout the work.</p><p>Heating of the dried biowaste is probably the most suitable method to reach and attain a hygienically safe product. Three time-temperature proportions were tested, 55, 70 and 80°C. The results show that a raise in temperature lead to a change in the composition of the dried biowaste, most distinctively for the highest temperature. Nitrogen losses of 21% of the total nitrogen content were noticed. A composting experiment showed that the biowaste heated to the highest temperature was decomposed to a higher degree. It does not, however, seem like a heating process will decrease the possibility to use dried biowaste as a soil improvement.</p> / <p>Projektet Torrkonservering av matavfall från hushåll innefattar en ny teknik för torkning och lagring av bioavfall, hushållens sortering och vidare användning av det torkade materialet. För att sluta det naturliga kretsloppet utreds om det torkade bioavfallet kan användas som ett jordförbättringsmedel. När organiskt avfall ska användas som ett jordförbättringsmedel ställs krav på hygienisk säkerhet. Examensarbetets syfte var att, genom litteraturstudier, utreda lämplig hygieniseringsmetod att vidare testa praktiskt, samt att testa om en hygieniseringsprocess medför några förändringar på det torkade bioavfallets materialegenskaper. Ett befintligt standardrecept på matavfall vidareutvecklades och användes.</p><p>Resultaten tyder på att upphettning av det torkade bioavfallet förmodligen är den mest lämpliga hygieniseringsmetoden. Tre olika tid- temperaturförhållanden testades, 55, 70 och 80°C. Laborationer och analyser tyder på att det torkade bioavfallet genomgår en viss förändring av den kemiska sammansättningen vid upphettning, vilket är tydligast för den högsta hygieniseringstemperaturen. Bland annat sker kväveförluster på upp till 21 % av totalkvävet. Komposteringstester visar på att nedbrytningsgraden är högst för bioavfall som hygieniserats vid den högsta temperaturen. Det verkar inte som om hygienisering, genom upphettning, minskar möjligheten att använda torkat bioavfall som ett jordförbättringsmedel.</p>

Incineration with energy recovery is the main disposal strategy for waste that cannot be reused or recycled, and a well-established source of energy in Europe, especially in Sweden where 2.2 Mtonnes of waste including domestic and imported municipal solid waste (MSW) and waste wood (WW) were combusted during 2015. However, owing to its inherent heterogeneous composition, inclusion of such waste in Waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies is challenging. These heterogeneities may lead to operationally-related issues in the WtE facilities and contribute to toxic emissions, which can be reduced by waste pre-treatment technologies.    This thesis examines the variations in the composition of MSW and WW streams used as a fuel supply in WtE facilities after undergoing waste pre-treatment technologies, and the effect of fuel composition on its combustion behaviour and formation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The overall objective is to contribute to a more thorough understanding of the selection of waste pre-treatment technologies to mitigate harmful emissions into the atmosphere when waste fuels are combusted in WtE facilities.    This thesis describes the high variability of contaminants in domestic and imported WW and suggests adaptation of WW pre-treatment techniques to produce fuels with a low potential for generating pollutants. A comparison of mechanical solid waste pre-treatments revealed that screening and shredding is more efficient than extrusion for reducing emissions of pollutants such as PCDDs and PCDFs in combustion. The evaluation of the combustion behaviour of MSW-based fuels showed a three-stage oxidative decomposition, and an acceleration of the decomposition of the MSW compared to the lignocellulosic materials, which may be attributed to the presence of food waste and plastics in the MSW. Combustion tests of fuel blends containing WW and MSW-based fuels with different food waste content suggested that WW, not food waste content, is the key factor for the formation of PCDDs, PCDFs, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), benzenes (PCBzs) and phenols (PCPhs). Torrefaction may be a suitable technology for improving the properties of waste as a fuel e.g. due to its low PCDD and PCDF emissions. / Förbränning med energiåtervinning är det huvudsakliga sättet att ta hand om avfall som inte kan återanvändas eller återvinnas. Det är en väletablerad energikälla i Europa och särskilt i Sverige där 2,2 miljoner ton avfall, däribland inhemskt och importerat hushållsavfall och returträ, förbrändes under 2015. På grund av den heterogena sammansättningen hos hushållsavfall och returträ är förbränning av dessa material i anläggningar med energiåtervinning (så kallade WtE-anläggningar) förknippade med en del driftsrelaterade utmaningar. Det kan även ge upphov till miljöfarliga utsläpp, som dock kan reduceras genom förbehandling av avfallet. I denna avhandling har variationer i sammansättningen hos hushållsavfall och returträ som förbränns i WtE-anläggningar undersökts. Effekten av bränslemixens sammansättning och ev förbehandling på bränslets förbränningsegenskaper samt bildning av långlivade organiska föroreningar (så kallade POPar) såsom polyklorerade dibenso-p-dioxiner och polyklorerade dibensofuraner vid förbränning har utvärderats. Det övergripande målet är att bidra till en djupare förståelse av hur valet av förbehandlingsteknik för avfall kan bidra till att minska skadliga utsläpp till luft när avfallsbränslen förbränns i WtE-anläggningar. Denna avhandling beskriver den stora variabiliteten av metall- och materialföroreningar i inhemskt och importerat returträ och föreslår förbehandlingstekniker för att producera bränslen med låg potential att generera föroreningar. En jämförelse av mekaniska förbehandlingstekniker visade att mekanisk sönderdelning och separering (krossning och siktning) är mer effektivt än s.k. högtrycks-pressning för att minska utsläppen av föroreningar som dioxiner och furaner vid förbränning. Utvärderingen av bränslemixar innehållande hushållsavfall uppvisade en oxidativ nedbrytning i tre steg vid förbränning, och en accelererad nedbrytning av avfallsmaterialet jämfört med vedmaterialet i bränslet, troligen som effekt av innehållet av matavfall och plast i hushållsavfallet. Förbränningsförsök med bränsleblandningar av returträ och hushållsavfall med olika innehåll av matavfall visade att mängden returträ, och inte mängden matavfall, är den viktigaste faktorn för bildning av dioxiner, furaner, klorbifenyler, klorbensener, och klorfenoler. Torrefiering kan vara en lämplig teknik för att förbättra avfallets bränsleegenskaper, t.ex. på grund av dess låga emissioner.

Matsvinn är ett problem som genomsyrar hela livsmedelskedjan och ger upphov till ekonomiska förluster, negativ miljö- och klimatpåverkan och utömning av ändliga resurser. Den förändring som krävs för att motverka dessa negativa effekter är enorm. I Sveriges skolor är förlusterna i form av slängd mat en fråga om ett kostsamt slöseri, dels ur miljösynpunkt, men också med hänsyn till kommuners begränsade resurser. På grund av detta är behoven av svinnreducerande åtgärder stora. Någonting som kan hjälpa till att minska omfattningen av matsvinnsproblemet är beteendeförändring. Tyvärr kan vi inte förvänta oss att förändring skall ske på tu man hand. Vi behöver styrmedel som kan knuffa oss i rätt riktning. Denna uppsats är ett teoretiskt underlag som undersöker och beskriver hur nudging, ett verktyg för hållbara beteenden, kan vara en del av lösningen på matsvinnsproblemet i skolor. Rekommendationer för utformning och införande av sådana förändringsstrategier presenteras, med särskilt fokus på planerade åtgärder (nudges) och praktisk tillämpning. Målet är att studien skall kunna bidra till tillämpningen av beteendeinsikter inom miljöområdet. Två tidigare studier ligger som grund för uppsatsen, en litteraturstudie, som syftat till att undersöka nudging som ett hjälpmedel för hållbar samhällsutveckling, och en pilotstudie, som syftat till att undersöka elevers beteende i matsalen och hur de handskas med maten som blir över. Första studien fann flera praktiska brister om nudging (verktyget) skall brukas lyckosamt, långvarigt och i större utsträckning inom miljöarbetet. Pilotstudien fann irrationellt fattade beslut bland elever. För att svara på hur nudging kan vara en del av lösningen på problemet med bortkastad mat i skolor tillämpade uppsatsen det strategiska ramverket för hållbar utveckling. Enligt det strategiska ramverket för hållbar utveckling tillämpas nudges som en katalyserande åtgärd medan nudging är ett konkret verktyg för strategiskt beteendeförändringsarbete. I uppsatsen presenteras nudging och nudges som två separata delar av beteendeförändringsarbetet, vilket förtydligar begreppens omfattning och roll i problemlösningen samt att det också illustrerar hur respektive del kan vara en egen del av lösningen på problemet. Utifrån kartläggning av orsaker och faktorer som står i vägen för en önskvärd beteendeförändring, drar uppsatsen slutsatser om att det finns en teoretisk potential att använda nudging för att främja en hållbar utveckling i skolor och minska matsvinnet, främst när eleverna är på väg att lämna matsalen, men också vid uppläggningssituationen och under ordinarie skoltid. Identifierade områden att fokusera på vid tillämpningen av nudges var främst feedback och återkoppling, smarta ankare, ordning, normativa budskap, engagemang, påminnelser, färre alternativ, strategisk planering, upplysning av förluster och minskat socialt bevis. Utöver detta, gav uppsatsen slutligen förslag för arbete med nudging ur ett ovan- eller underperspektiv (genom att integrera bedömningsfrågor i beslutandeprocessen) för att anpassa tillämpningen av åtgärder. / Food waste is a problem that permeates the whole food supply chain and cause economic losses, negative effects on the climate and environment and depletion of finite resources. The scale of required change necessary to counteract the negative effects is huge. In Swedens schools food waste loss is a matter of a costly wastage, both from an environmental perspective, but also with regard to municipalities' limited resources. Due to this, there is a big demand for waste loss reducing measures. Something that can help mitigate the extent of the food waste problem is behavioral change. Unfortunately, we cannot expect change to occur on one’s own. We need tools that can nudge us in the right direction. This thesis is a theoretical base that explores and describes how nudging, a tool for sustainable behaviors, can be a part of the solution to the food waste problem in school canteens. Recommendations for design and implementation of such change strategies are presented, with a special focus on planned interventions (nudges) and practical application. The goal is that the study will contribute to the application of behavioral insights in the environmental field. The foundation of the thesis consists of two earlier studies, a literature study, aimed at examining nudging as a tool for sustainable societal development, and a pilot study, aimed at examining students' behavior in canteens, and how they deal with leftovers. The first study found a number of practical shortcomings if nudging (the tool) is to be used successfully, long-term and more extensively in environmental work. The pilot study found irrationally made decisions among students. In order to answer how nudging can be part of the solution to the food waste problem in schools, the thesis applied the strategic framework for sustainable development. According to the strategic framework for sustainable development nudges employs as a catalyzing action while nudging is a tangible tool for strategic behavior change management. In the thesis nudging and nudges are presented as two separate parts of the behavior change management process, this also illustrates how each part can be part of the solution to the problem, because it clarifies the scope of the notions and their role in resolving the issue. Based on knowledge gained from the pilot study, the thesis draws conclusions that there is a theoretical potential to use nudging to encourage sustainable development in school canteens and reduce food waste, especially when students are about to leave the canteen, but also in the serving situation and during everyday school hours. Identified areas to focus on when applying nudges were mainly evaluation and feedback, smart anchors, order, normative messages, commitment, reminders, fewer options, strategic planning, loss disclosure and less social proof. In addition to this, the thesis finally gave suggestions for working with nudging from an above- or below perspective (by integrating assessment questions in the decision-making process) to adjust the application of interventions.

This paper addresses how food systems and transboundary food supply chains are mediated and shaped by (cross-) cultural and geopolitical borders that function as selective filters. We focus on the ways in which the political boundary in a formerly cohesive foodshed generates "edge effects" that affect (1) food safety, and (2) food waste, particularly in desert communities adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border. We hypothesize that as these various boundary lines get "out of register" with one another, their dissonance creates both unexpected impacts as well as opportunities for positive change. This initial analysis demonstrates how multiple (and often permeable) social, economic, and ecological edges intersect with food supply chain vulnerabilities and economic opportunities at the border. Drawing on examples from food safety and food waste surrounding the "Ambos Nogales" port of entry on the Arizona-Sonora border, we document the ways in which the border produces ecological and social edge effects that are dissonant with the official legal boundary.