Local cooperation for circular biowaste in schools and beyond
FoodLoops
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FoodLoops

PROGRAMME 2021-2027
priority
3 Climate-neutral societies
objective
3.1 Circular economy
Project type
Implementation
August 2023 - July 2025

FoodLoops

The project FoodLoops establishes cooperation among schools, caterers (SMEs), farmers, and professionals in a circular economy to improve biowaste separation at source, prevent excessive food waste and reuse it as organic compost.

Food waste is a significant issue for the Baltic Sea Region. Currently, a large amount of food is wasted on an annual basis, with over 50 kg per capita in Lithuania and 4.8 million tons in Poland. Schools play a crucial role in combating food waste, as they are major venues where significant volumes of food waste are generated. For example, in Finland, it has been observed that 17% of the food prepared in school canteens is wasted. Additionally, 11.3% of the food waste occurs during the serving of meals. Finally, in Poland and Lithuania, food waste also poses a significant challenge to schools. Closing the food waste loop in school food value chains has the economic potential, e.g. by valorising the food waste and converting it into valuable products such as compost.

Project improves waste separation at the source in schools and canteens, thus facilitating the better management and reduction of bio-waste. FoodLoops designs initiatives that promote waste separation at the school canteen level and also contributes to the educational purposes by making school staff key actors in waste reduction. By increasing the demand for bio-waste-based fertilizers the project assists farmers in utilizing organic waste as a resource, promoting sustainable agricultural practice. For stakeholders involved in waste management, this project supports inclusive governance of waste, which builds consensus, improves acceptance and enhances consumers´ participation in waste sorting.

The FoodLoops project develops a variety of solutions to address barriers across different stakeholders, particularly in the context of the food value chain, for example:

1 Manual on Local Cooperation for Circular Bio-Waste:

This manual serves as a guide to foster cooperation among stakeholders within the local food waste value chain. It aims to enhance mutual understanding of stakeholders' motivations and pain points, identify a common goal, and jointly develop solutions. The manual includes case studies that address the food waste value chain and it highlights activities, challenges and solutions in each locality or region.

2 Workshops for Co-developing Solution Implementation Pathways:

The project organizes workshops to build trust and cooperation amongst key stakeholders such as municipalities, schools, and caterers. These workshops focus on co-developing concrete pathways to overcome barriers through improved cooperation, thereby addressing both operational and situational drivers of food waste in school canteens.

3 Facilitating Replication and Scaling of Solutions:

FoodLoops facilitates the replication of successful models and solutions across the Baltic Sea Region. This includes training and workshops that enable stakeholders from various sectors to adopt and adapt solutions for local implementation, aimed at improving the management and valorization of bio-waste.

These solutions target a systematic approach to reducing food waste through enhanced cooperation and engagement across the food value chain, from production to consumption, focusing particularly on school settings and local communities.

The manual on cooperation for circular bio-waste is currently in preparation and will support the municipalities, educators, farmers and caterers in fostering cooperation at the local level on circular bio-waste. The manual will be tested within vocational training institutes as well as associated organizations involved in the FoodLoops project during validation workshops at the beginning of the year 2025. Furthermore, the transnational workshops will facilitate the sharing of experiences from project target countries to other European countries.

The Inter-reg BSR generously finances the transition of the BSR economies toward circular bio-economies and FoodLoops project is one example of concrete projects facilitating this transition.

 

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Budgets

FoodLoops
in numbers.
  • 0.50
    Million
    Total
  • 0.40
    Million
    Erdf
  • 0.00
    Million
    Norway
stock.adobe.com/Vera Kuttelvaserova
36 Benefitting organisations 1 Solution(s) plannedfor use / upscale 10 Organisationsin the project

FoodLoops
in numbers.

  • 62.888562627.627853
  • 51.26616987.14994
  • 54.351441918.641021
  • 54.6980648525.282473396780087

Project partners

Lead partnerSavonia University of Applied Sciences
  • Town
    Kuopio
  • Region
  • Country
    Finland
  • Region
    Pohjois-Savo
Total partner budget
136,301.20
Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production gGmbH
  • Town
    Wuppertal
  • Region
  • Country
    Germany
  • Region
    Wuppertal, Kreisfreie Stadt
Total partner budget
139,209.47
Municipality of Gdansk
  • Town
    Gdańsk
  • Region
  • Country
    Poland
  • Region
    Trójmiejski
Total partner budget
120,400.00
Lithuanian Consumer Institute
  • Town
    Vilnius
  • Region
  • Country
    Lithuania
  • Region
    Vilniaus apskritis
Total partner budget
101,024.00

Contacts

News

Events

11
December
New Bioeconomy Solutions and Sustainable Agriculture
Project: FoodLoops
Virtual Meeting
11. December 2024
09:00 - 11:00 (BST)
    06
    November
    Workshop on circular food system in schools
    Project: FoodLoops
    Physical Meeting
    06. November 2024
    00:00 - 23:59 (CEST)
    22
    October
    FoodLoops workshop on food origin and farming
    Project: FoodLoops
    Physical Meeting
    22. October 2024
    00:00 - 23:59 (EEST)
    31
    October
    2nd event on Circular School Food Systems
    Project: FoodLoops
    Virtual Meeting
    31. October 2023
    13:00 - 14:30 (CET)
    19
    September
    Circular School Food Systems
    Project: FoodLoops
    Virtual Meeting
    19. September 2023
    13:00 - 14:30 (CEST)