Restaurants rescue the stores’ food waste through new business concepts and logistics solutions
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Stiftelsen Chalmers Industriteknik |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 500 000 |
| Project duration | November 2018 - August 2019 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Circular and biobased economy |
Purpose and goal
Every year Swedish food stores throw away 30,000 tonnes of food as waste, although a large portion is still edible, so-called surplus food. In this project we developed business models for restaurants who want to save this surplus food. This has a great potential to reduce the stores’ food waste while at the same time it is an important educational effort in the attitude changes needed to reduce food waste in Sweden by demonstrating that high quality foods can be cooked on foods that consumers often regard as waste at home.
Expected results and effects
In order to allow restaurants to save surplus food from stores in Sweden on a larger scale, the project delivered the following: (1) an analysis of ongoing initiatives to save surplus food from stores; (2) business model layouts for restaurants who want to cook surplus food from stores; as well as (3) arrangements of joint logistics solutions between restaurants and stores. The work resulted in an action plan for a step 2 project to test and implement business model layouts and logistics solutions.
Planned approach and implementation
The project included eight project partners representing key stakeholder groups to develop business model layouts and logistics solutions to save surplus food. Participants were Paul Svensson Mat AB, Coop, Menigo, Martin & Servera, LogTrade, Whywaste, Stockholm Stadsmission and Chalmers Industriteknik. The work was primarily carried out through interviews and workshops with project partners and other important stakeholders as well as an survey.