The method

#1. MEASURE- food waste you measure is food waste you handle.

It can be tempting to jump right into trying out different actions in hope to lower your business’ food waste. This can be a less effective method since we don’t necessarily understand our specific problem areas. Therefore, the first step is to measure the food waste to establish a baseline understanding of our current situation. 

There are several methods that can be used to measure food waste which differ in duration, cost and labor intensity. It is therefore important to understand your business’ needs and capacity in order to select the right approach.

Measuring food waste goes beyond weighing the wasted food – it is vital to also understand what types of foods are being wasted, where in the production line the waste occurs and finally the reasons for the waste. For example measures might show that 20% of the customer waste are vegetables from the buffet because they serve themselves too much. 

The results will show the improvement opportunities within your organisation as well as crystallize the correct actions  that will shrink the food waste.

(!) The more you measure your food waste, the better you’ll know how to minimise it. 

Ecobi will lead you through your measuring process to effectively get an accurate understanding of your food waste problem.

#2. ENGAGE – the team is key.

The quantity of wasted food in an organisation depends on prep-work, service and guests’ behavior. To prevent waste throughout the chain of activities it is vital that the team is educated and engaged.

Everyone involved is required to understand the negative impacts food waste has on the business and on the environment, and also the gains of reducing it. Collecting ideas from the team is proven to be useful since their experiences and knowledge can complement the actions which will be selected for the reduction plan.  

(!) The sooner the team is engaged the faster the level of food waste will decrease.

Ecobi will work closely with your team providing training and workshops to create a solid knowledge base and high level of engagement.

#3. REDUCE – select the right actions to achieve the best result.

No two businesses are alike and there are hundreds of potential actions that can be considered when reducing food waste. The challenge is to select the optimal combination of actions that leads to the maximum waste reductions.

To prevent food waste would be the most beneficial option for your business since expenses are spared. However, it is unlikely to succeed in preventing all food waste, therefore, a strategy which also includes reusing and recycling is optimal.

(!) To prevent food waste will lead to the largest benefits since your organisation will only buy what is needed and avoid other costs.

As a third step Ecobi presents a tailored solution for your organisation to efficiently reduce the food waste as well as keeping a long term level of waste low.   

#4. REPEAT – measure, engage, reduce more and more…

Congratulations! A substantial amount of your food waste has been reduced and you are noticing how your costs are being cut. You’ve achieved a better understanding and control of your food waste problem and perhaps you’ve also noticed other benefits of wasting less food. 

But the job isn’t done here! In order to keep your waste down long term and keep reducing your waste further, you will need to keep measuring and engaging your team continuously.  

(!) It’s not a secret: keep measuring the waste, keep engaging your team and you’ll keep finding ways of reducing your food waste continuously.