In order to reduce the food waste in any business, information is needed on where and how much is generated. For this, businesses should do a food waste assessment.
There are three stages of food waste assessment:
- General assessment – this involves gathering information you already have e.g. from bills. It is quick and easy and is a good starting point for measuring food waste. Ideally every business should be doing this as part of good waste management practices.
- Source assessment – a more detailed look at food waste, including the quantities and sources of the main food wastes generated. This provides a good level of information for businesses to start setting targets.
- Detailed assessment – provides detailed information on specific types of food wasted (e.g. veg, porridge, bread) as well as the reasons for generation (e.g. plate leftovers, deli waste). This is time consuming but has the potential to identify the root causes of repetitive food waste generation.