Waste quantification solutions to limit environmental stress: New tools for circular food systems

The European Union’s shift towards a circular economy and increased resource efficiency is propelled by innovation. This transformation is evident in sectors like the food industry, which is transitioning from a linear approach to a circular model of sustainability. To cope with those changes, WASTELESS project will develop and test a mix of innovative tools and methodologies for Food Loss and Waste (FLW) measurement and monitoring. By following a bottom-up approach, the project will define a methodological framework and set of standards for the testing activities, evaluate the tools implementation and the quality and integrability of the data produced in other frameworks. The goal is also to provide recommendations for sustainable policies and business strategies to enable a harmonised Framework at EU level. WASTELESS gathers multiple stakeholders throughout Europe and beyond, that will also carry out research activities on innovative processes and streams to valorise unavoidable FLW. With the goal of making both existing FLW quantification solutions and WASTELESS solutions accessible to all participants in the food industry, a Decision Support Toolbox will be created. This toolbox will provide stakeholders with access to the most suitable methodologies, digital tools, and solutions for the valorization of food loss and waste. Moreover, it will include the environmental and socio-economic impacts connected to the implementation of these solutions. This will enable the replication of data collection hubs across Europe feeding the model developed by JRC with robust, reliable and comparable FLW data. EP was responsible for the successful setting up of the project.