A combined framework for the life cycle assessment and costing of food waste prevention and valorization: an application to school canteens

Abstract

About one third of global edible food is lost or wasted along the supply chain, causing the wastage of embedded natural and economic resources. Life cycle methodologies can be applied to identify sustainable and viable prevention and valorization routes needed to prevent such inefficiencies. However, no systemic approach has been developed so far to guide practitioners and stakeholders. Specifically, the goal and scoping phase (e.g. problem assessed or system function) can be characterized by a large flexibility, and the comparability between food waste scenarios could be not ensured. Within the Horizon2020 project Resource Efficient Food and dRink for the Entire Supply cHain, this study aimed to provide practitioners with guidance on how to combine life cycle assessment and environmental life cycle costing in the context of food waste. Recent literature was reviewed to identify relevant methodological aspects, possible commonly adopted approaches, main differences among studies and standards and protocols, main challenges, and knowledge gaps. Basing on this review, an analytical framework with a set of recommendations was developed encompassing different assessment situations. The framework intends to provide a step by step guidance for food waste practitioners, and it is composed of a preliminary section on study purpose definition, three decision trees-respectively on assessment situation(s), costing approach, and type of study (footprint vs. intervention)-and two sets of recommendations. Recommendations can be applied to all levels of the food waste hierarchy, stating a generic order of preference for handling food chain side flows. This consistent and integrated life cycle approach should ensure a better understanding of the impact of specific interventions, thus supporting informed private and public decision making and promoting the design of sustainable and cost-efficient interventions and a more efficient food supply chains.

Consumption Behavior and Residential Food Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak in Brazil

“…This hypothesis was not confirmed. Contrary to what has been reported in the literature, where it is verified that food waste is related to consumer behavior [33,46,47], aspects such as concern and action [11,15,20,21,28] can verify whether people are really taking appropriate actions to prevent or reduce their waste. The results obtained may be associated with the contexts of the study-i.e., the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…The close relations between purchasing and consumption behaviors with food wastage is key to understanding that significant progress in reducing wastage requires fundamental basic measures, involving consumers, mobilizing interest groups, promoting innovation, and investing in building a sustainable food system [46,47]. In this direction, institutions around the world have been looking for alternatives and solutions to the problem of food waste.…”

“…The extent of household food waste, the type, quantity, use, and reasons for waste are important factors to correctly characterize people's attitudes in relation to food waste [15,58]. Food waste is associated with consumer behavior mainly in aspects of concern and action [33,46,59]. The way in which consumers handle food often differs between food categories and whether the person who prepares food at home knows the proper way of preserving the food [48].…”

Food waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak: a holistic climate, economic and nutritional approach

“…Only a limited number of case studies have been reported in the literature linked to economic aspects, mostly related to municipal FLW management (De Menna et al, 2018). Thus, the economic factor has been considered from a market perspective (McCarthy et al, 2020); the economy and the environmental hierarchy (Redlingshöfer et al, 2020;García-Herrero et al, 2018), from a life cycle cost thinking approach (De Menna et al, 2018) or combining LCA and life cycle costing (LCC) (De Menna et al, 2020;Slorach et al, 2019). The social scope has been studied to include important aspects, such as food security, food safety and nutrition.…”

A systematic review of research on food loss and waste prevention and management for the circular economy

“…Several behaviour theories are employed: frame analysis for food donations (Tikka, 2019), the theory of change (ToC) for food sharing (Michelini et al, 2020), prospect's theory for customers' perception of biowaste products (Russo et al, 2019), convention theory for retailer's role in tackling FLW (Swaffield et al, 2018). Some conceptual frameworks are proposed: the six-step framework for nutrient stock and flow accounting (van der Wiel et al, 2020), a seven-step framework for integrated LCA-LCC methodology (De Menna et al, 2020), a framework for MSW collection and recycling (Woon and Lo, 2016).…”