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Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
Published on: July 18, 2025
15
Challenging the food waste hierarchy.
Ali Parsa1, Marco Van De Wiel2, Ulrich Schmutz1
1Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK.
Journal of Environmental Management
|July 5, 2023
Summary
Urban food waste management needs a better approach than the traditional hierarchy. Our study shows redistribution and waste reduction are key for environmental sustainability in food, energy, water, and climate systems.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Circular Economy
- Systems Dynamics
Background:
- Food waste poses significant environmental challenges within urban circular economies.
- Existing food waste management frameworks, like the food waste hierarchy, inadequately address the interconnected impacts on food, energy, water, and climate (FEWC) systems.
- A comprehensive understanding of FEWC nexus footprints is crucial for effective food waste mitigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a system dynamics model for assessing the FEWC footprints of urban food waste.
- To compare the environmental performance of various food waste management strategies and policies.
- To propose an optimized food waste hierarchy framework for urban circular economies.
Main Methods:
- Developed a comprehensive and replicable system dynamics model for urban food waste.
- Quantitatively analyzed the food, energy, water, and climate (FEWC) footprints across the agri-food supply chain.
- Compared different food waste management options and policies using data from Bristol, UK (2018-2030).
Main Results:
- The preferability of food waste management options varies by supply chain sector and FEWC element, challenging the traditional hierarchy.
- Increasing food surplus redistribution in supply sectors and reducing consumer-level food waste are the most effective strategies.
- Feeding food scraps to pets shows a promising environmental impact at the household level.
Conclusions:
- The traditional food waste hierarchy is insufficient for guiding sustainable urban food waste management.
- An improved framework accounting for sector-specific and FEWC nexus impacts is necessary.
- This novel framework offers a more nuanced understanding for optimizing policy and management in urban circular economies.
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