Potentials for food waste minimization and effects on potential biogas production through anaerobic digestion
Abstract
Several treatment alternatives for food waste can result in both energy and nutrient recovery, and thereby potential environmental benefits. However, according to the European Union waste management hierarchy, waste prevention should be the prioritized strategy to decrease the environmental burdens from all solid waste management. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the potential for food waste minimization among Swedish households through an investigation of the amount of avoidable food waste currently disposed of. A further aim was to investigate the effect on the national biogas production potential through anaerobic digestion of food waste, considering minimization potentials. A method for waste composition analyses of household food waste, where a differentiation between avoidable and unavoidable food waste is made, was used in a total of 24 waste composition analyses of household waste from Swedish residential areas. The total household food waste generation reached 3.4 kg (household and week)(-1), on average, of which 34% is avoidable. The theoretical methane (CH4) potential in unavoidable food waste reached 442 Ndm(3) (kg VS)(-1) or 128 Nm(3) tonne(-1) wet waste, while the measured (mesophilic CH4 batch tests) CH4 production reached 399 Ndm(3) (kg VS)(-1), which is lower than several previous assessments of CH4 production from household food waste. According to this study the combination of a decrease in food waste generation-in case of successful minimization-and decreased CH4 production from unavoidable food waste will thus result in lower total potential energy recovery from household food waste through anaerobic digestion CH4 potential than previously stated.
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Estimates of the proportion of food waste that is avoidable differ considerably across studies.
“Estimates of the proportion of food waste that is avoidable differ considerably across studies”
From Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development (2016) · cites this paper as Schott et al. 2013
Even with rigorous prevention programs, food waste from residential, institutional, and commercial sectors will never be eliminated because some food waste is unavoidable.
“However, even with rigorous prevention programs, food waste from residential, institutional, and commercial sectors will never be eliminated because some food waste is unavoidable (e.g., peels) (Schott et al. 2013), and redistribution of edible food to feed humans may be unfeasible due to food perishability and high transport or distribution costs (Buzby et al. 2014).”
From Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development (2016) · cites this paper as Schott et al. 2013
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References 10 · Cited by 46
- Authors
- Bernstad Saraiva Schott, A., Vukicevic, S., Bohn, I., & Andersson, T.
- Affiliations
- Water and Environmental Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- NSR, North Western Scania Waste Management Company, Helsingborg, Sweden
- Lund University (SE)
- Venue
- Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-05-16
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 811-819
- ISSN
- 0734-242X (ISSN-L)
- 1096-3669
- OpenAlex
- W2149022772
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 9.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Naturvårdsverket
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Composting and Vermicomposting Techniques
- Keywords
- food waste reduction, household food waste, anaerobic digestion, biogas production, methane potential, waste composition analysis, avoidable food waste, waste prevention, energy recovery, Swedish households
- MeSH terms
- Food, Methane, Waste Management, Biofuels
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