mixed with other waste [14]. However, food waste has generally a moisture content
such that makes it unsuitable for incineration or thermal treatment and its presence
in landfills may raise environmental concerns due to the production of leachate and
methane emissions [15]. Therefore, this huge amount of bio-based materials represents a considerable potential contribution of bio-economy to circular-economy,
which not only may optimise resources use, but also help facing the problem of
food waste management.
4.1 Food Waste Generation Accounting
Being aware of the extent and the type of the waste and by-products streams is the
first step towards the identification of valuable valorisation pathways for bio-based
materials in general, including food waste [11]. Food waste and by-products
generation encompasses all the stages of the food supply chain, from primary
production to consumption. Therefore the adoption of a life cycle thinking
(LCT) approach for supporting the accounting is advisable to fully capture the
potentialities of food waste and by-products valorisation.
Currently, waste generation has been investigated on different geographical
scales and breakdowns of the food supply chain (Fig. 3). Besides its relevance for
addressing the type of food waste accounting, the matrix in Fig. 3 is also useful for
the definition of specific interventions. For example, data on food waste for a
specific commodity group at national/regional level may allow depicting tailored
scenarios of food waste valorisation.
Results of the studies may differ due to various elements, such data sources,
quantification methods, food waste definitions, system boundaries. The selection of
the waste flows accounted may be a critical element, influenced by food waste
definition and data sources considered. In the study by FAO on global food waste
generation [13], for example, only the edible fractions of food are accounted,
whereas inedible parts such as bones and fruit peels are excluded. Another criticality may be the inhomogeneity and the uncertainty of statistical data, which may
limit the comparability of statistical data provided by different countires [13, 16].
These criticalities highlight the need of an accurate understanding of the
underlying assumptions on the quantification approaches, in the interpretation of
existing studies [17].
4.2 Valorisation of Food Waste, Possible Options
The rapidly growing attention for the circular use of bio-based resources has led to
the realisation of several studies exploring potential for circularity for food waste
and by-products. Not all the analysed solutions are currently developed at the
industrial scale application [18].
54
S. Corrado and S. Sala
such that makes it unsuitable for incineration or thermal treatment and its presence
in landfills may raise environmental concerns due to the production of leachate and
methane emissions [15]. Therefore, this huge amount of bio-based materials represents a considerable potential contribution of bio-economy to circular-economy,
which not only may optimise resources use, but also help facing the problem of
food waste management.
4.1 Food Waste Generation Accounting
Being aware of the extent and the type of the waste and by-products streams is the
first step towards the identification of valuable valorisation pathways for bio-based
materials in general, including food waste [11]. Food waste and by-products
generation encompasses all the stages of the food supply chain, from primary
production to consumption. Therefore the adoption of a life cycle thinking
(LCT) approach for supporting the accounting is advisable to fully capture the
potentialities of food waste and by-products valorisation.
Currently, waste generation has been investigated on different geographical
scales and breakdowns of the food supply chain (Fig. 3). Besides its relevance for
addressing the type of food waste accounting, the matrix in Fig. 3 is also useful for
the definition of specific interventions. For example, data on food waste for a
specific commodity group at national/regional level may allow depicting tailored
scenarios of food waste valorisation.
Results of the studies may differ due to various elements, such data sources,
quantification methods, food waste definitions, system boundaries. The selection of
the waste flows accounted may be a critical element, influenced by food waste
definition and data sources considered. In the study by FAO on global food waste
generation [13], for example, only the edible fractions of food are accounted,
whereas inedible parts such as bones and fruit peels are excluded. Another criticality may be the inhomogeneity and the uncertainty of statistical data, which may
limit the comparability of statistical data provided by different countires [13, 16].
These criticalities highlight the need of an accurate understanding of the
underlying assumptions on the quantification approaches, in the interpretation of
existing studies [17].
4.2 Valorisation of Food Waste, Possible Options
The rapidly growing attention for the circular use of bio-based resources has led to
the realisation of several studies exploring potential for circularity for food waste
and by-products. Not all the analysed solutions are currently developed at the
industrial scale application [18].
54
S. Corrado and S. Sala