Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WASTELESS (WASTE QUANTIFICATION SOLUTIONS TO LIMIT ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
Currently, the European Union (EU) food chain generates around 88 million tonnes of food waste every year. This has a huge impact on society, economy, and the environment, and that is why EU food industry has always been committed to keeping on improving its sustainable practices.
The WASTELESS project - Waste Quantification Solutions To Limit Environmental Stress - aims: (1) to develop and test a mix of innovative tools and methodologies for Food Loss and Waste (FLW) measurement and monitoring, generating robust FLW data on critical and poorly understood Food Supply Chains (FSC), (2) to recommend a harmonized methodological Framework for FLW quantification, and (3) to develop a decision support systemic Toolbox targeting all food value chain stakeholders enabling the duplication of WASTELESS collection points across EU territories and different food commodities.
To address high levels of food waste, WASTELESS will carry out case studies, namely Food industries, Retail, Food services, Households, and Selected Supply Chains, to understand utilisation and role/contribution of specific food groups.
These studies are our best ways to evaluate and measure objectively mechanisms of action that will enable reduction and re-use of this waste in the long term. WASTELESS will also explore ways to measure food loss and waste in critical and less-known food supply chains and propose ways of quantifying the data. At the same time, it will develop a toolbox, an innovative set of decision-support tools for all those working along the food chain as well policymakers, developed in partnership with consumers and non-governmental organisations as well as HORECA representatives through hubs across the EU.
The WASTELESS, funded by EU’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme (Grant Agreement no. 101084222), is coordinated by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and comprises a multidisciplinary consortium of 16 beneficiaries, 12 affiliated entities and 1 associated partner from 14 countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey), with expertise ranging from agronomy, technology, food science, food technology, biology and ecosystems.
Overall, WASTELESS will contribute to achieve ‘Farm2Fork’ objectives and targets and ‘European Green Deal’, which aim to reduce amounts of food waste by at least 20% annually in the EU. In addition, the outcomes from this project could significantly contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, contributing to global climate change mitigation strategies.
The WASTELESS project - Waste Quantification Solutions To Limit Environmental Stress - aims: (1) to develop and test a mix of innovative tools and methodologies for Food Loss and Waste (FLW) measurement and monitoring, generating robust FLW data on critical and poorly understood Food Supply Chains (FSC), (2) to recommend a harmonized methodological Framework for FLW quantification, and (3) to develop a decision support systemic Toolbox targeting all food value chain stakeholders enabling the duplication of WASTELESS collection points across EU territories and different food commodities.
To address high levels of food waste, WASTELESS will carry out case studies, namely Food industries, Retail, Food services, Households, and Selected Supply Chains, to understand utilisation and role/contribution of specific food groups.
These studies are our best ways to evaluate and measure objectively mechanisms of action that will enable reduction and re-use of this waste in the long term. WASTELESS will also explore ways to measure food loss and waste in critical and less-known food supply chains and propose ways of quantifying the data. At the same time, it will develop a toolbox, an innovative set of decision-support tools for all those working along the food chain as well policymakers, developed in partnership with consumers and non-governmental organisations as well as HORECA representatives through hubs across the EU.
The WASTELESS, funded by EU’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme (Grant Agreement no. 101084222), is coordinated by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and comprises a multidisciplinary consortium of 16 beneficiaries, 12 affiliated entities and 1 associated partner from 14 countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey), with expertise ranging from agronomy, technology, food science, food technology, biology and ecosystems.
Overall, WASTELESS will contribute to achieve ‘Farm2Fork’ objectives and targets and ‘European Green Deal’, which aim to reduce amounts of food waste by at least 20% annually in the EU. In addition, the outcomes from this project could significantly contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, contributing to global climate change mitigation strategies.
Main activities and achievements (M1-M18):
- Several periodic meetings: Steering Committee meetings; inter- and intra-work package (WP) meetings; Kick-off meeting (M1); 2 General Assembly Meetings (M9 and M16) (WP8);
- Collaborations stablished: JRC, FOLOU (project sister) and other projects from the same thematic (all consortium);
- WASTELESS Community of Practice (CoP) on FLW (M10) (WP1 and WP7);
- 3 tools: Computer Vision-Based Image Analysis Tool, Automatic System for FW Assessment at Household, and Surplus Stock Measurement and Management Tool (WP2);
- 5 scientific articles with open access (WP5);
- 14 Deliverables:
WP1: D1.1 – White book for FLW reduction, measurement, and monitoring practices (M8); D1.2 – Report on improved framework for FLW measurement & monitoring (M12); D1.3 – Framework for activities criteria (M8);
WP2: D2.4 – Surplus Tool - optimised set of tools and methodologies (M17);
WP4: D4.1 – WASTELESS data collection, interoperability, and governance plan (M12);
WP6: D6.2 – Practice Abstracts – batch 1 - early phase (M18);
WP7: D7.1 – Knowledge sharing platforms for food systems (M18); D7.2 – Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication (DEC) Plan (M6); D7.3 – DEC Plan - update (M18); D7.7 – Website and social media (M3);
WP8: D8.1 – PM set of tools and strategy (M2); D8.2 – Data Management Plan (M6); D8.3 – Data Management Plan – update (M18);
WP9: D9.1 – POPD - AI - H - NEC - Requirement No. 1 (M18).
- 3 Milestones:
WP1: Milestone 1. Questionnaires and Interviews created and sent (M2); Milestone 2. Questionnaires and Interviews received (M8);
WP4: Milestone 4. Case studies data collection (M12).
- Several periodic meetings: Steering Committee meetings; inter- and intra-work package (WP) meetings; Kick-off meeting (M1); 2 General Assembly Meetings (M9 and M16) (WP8);
- Collaborations stablished: JRC, FOLOU (project sister) and other projects from the same thematic (all consortium);
- WASTELESS Community of Practice (CoP) on FLW (M10) (WP1 and WP7);
- 3 tools: Computer Vision-Based Image Analysis Tool, Automatic System for FW Assessment at Household, and Surplus Stock Measurement and Management Tool (WP2);
- 5 scientific articles with open access (WP5);
- 14 Deliverables:
WP1: D1.1 – White book for FLW reduction, measurement, and monitoring practices (M8); D1.2 – Report on improved framework for FLW measurement & monitoring (M12); D1.3 – Framework for activities criteria (M8);
WP2: D2.4 – Surplus Tool - optimised set of tools and methodologies (M17);
WP4: D4.1 – WASTELESS data collection, interoperability, and governance plan (M12);
WP6: D6.2 – Practice Abstracts – batch 1 - early phase (M18);
WP7: D7.1 – Knowledge sharing platforms for food systems (M18); D7.2 – Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication (DEC) Plan (M6); D7.3 – DEC Plan - update (M18); D7.7 – Website and social media (M3);
WP8: D8.1 – PM set of tools and strategy (M2); D8.2 – Data Management Plan (M6); D8.3 – Data Management Plan – update (M18);
WP9: D9.1 – POPD - AI - H - NEC - Requirement No. 1 (M18).
- 3 Milestones:
WP1: Milestone 1. Questionnaires and Interviews created and sent (M2); Milestone 2. Questionnaires and Interviews received (M8);
WP4: Milestone 4. Case studies data collection (M12).
Main results and potential impacts:
- SWOT analysis targeting the existing FLW measurement and monitoring practices and legislative actions impacting FLW. Specifically, this SWOT analysis aimed to identify areas for improvement more precisely, develop potential strategies for enhancement and inform decision-making and policy development to address FLW issues effectively. Tailoring to this analysis objective and focusing on the identified FLW measurement and monitoring practices and legislation actions, this study builds a SWOT analysis framework targeting different food categories. The CoP, which involves FLW experts and all food value chain actors, has been launched (WP1).
- Three of the five tools are ready and implementable in different CSs in WP3 (WP2).
- Planning of trials for the implementation of the tools has begun to be organized by the partners involved in the different case studies (WP3).
- 5 scientific articles published in open access journals (WP5).
- C&D tools and channels for have been created: WASTELESS Website; Linkedin; X, and Youtube channel; Collaboration with similar projects and initiatives organized (e.g. Webinars; Newsletters) (WP7).
- Creation of the WASTELESS External Expert Advisory Board and collaboration with project sister FOLOU, with impact in several WASTELESS activities (WP8).
- SWOT analysis targeting the existing FLW measurement and monitoring practices and legislative actions impacting FLW. Specifically, this SWOT analysis aimed to identify areas for improvement more precisely, develop potential strategies for enhancement and inform decision-making and policy development to address FLW issues effectively. Tailoring to this analysis objective and focusing on the identified FLW measurement and monitoring practices and legislation actions, this study builds a SWOT analysis framework targeting different food categories. The CoP, which involves FLW experts and all food value chain actors, has been launched (WP1).
- Three of the five tools are ready and implementable in different CSs in WP3 (WP2).
- Planning of trials for the implementation of the tools has begun to be organized by the partners involved in the different case studies (WP3).
- 5 scientific articles published in open access journals (WP5).
- C&D tools and channels for have been created: WASTELESS Website; Linkedin; X, and Youtube channel; Collaboration with similar projects and initiatives organized (e.g. Webinars; Newsletters) (WP7).
- Creation of the WASTELESS External Expert Advisory Board and collaboration with project sister FOLOU, with impact in several WASTELESS activities (WP8).