Food waste and sustainable food waste management in the Baltic Sea region

1 Introduction . . 1
1.1 Scope . . 4
1.1.1 Food Losses . . 5
1.1.2 Food Residuals . . 6
1.1.3 By-Products, Including Animal By-Products . . 6
1.1.4 Food Waste . . 6
References . . 6

2 Literature Review . . 9
2.1 Legislation . . 10
2.2 Waste Management Hierarchy . . 11
2.2.1 Differences and Similarities in the Waste Management Hierarchies . . 14
2.3 Bio-Waste . . 17
2.4 Food Waste . . 20
References . . 26

3 Causes of Food Waste Generation . . 31
3.1 Consumer Behaviour . . 31
3.2 Lack of Awareness . . 34
3.3 Labelling . . 35
3.5 Food Merchandising . . 37
3.6 Legislation/Regulations as an Obstacle . . 38
3.6.1 European Marketing Standards . . 39
3.7 Companies Private Standards and Reputation . . 39
3.8 Overproduction and Excess Stock . . 40
3.9 Food Prices/Financial Incentives . . 41
3.10 Technical Factors . . 43
3.10.1 Storage . . 43
3.10.2 Stock Transportation . . 44
3.10.3 Poor Packaging . . 44
References . . 48

4 Methods of Food Waste Reduction . . 51
4.1 Public Awareness Raising/Education . . 51
4.1.1 Awareness Campaigns and Informativeness . . 52
4.1.2 Guidelines . . 52
4.1.3 Education . . 53
4.2 Food Recovery and Redistribution . . 53
4.3 Legislation—Governmental Interventions . . 55
4.4 Economic Incentives/Financial Instruments . . 57
4.4.1 Negative . . 58
4.4.2 Positive . . 59
4.5 Forecasting and Correct Inventory Management/Planning . . 59
4.6 Packaging . . 61
4.7 Labelling . . 61
4.8 Companies Initiatives . . 62
4.9 Separate Collection of Food Waste . . 64
4.10 Alternative Use . . 65
4.10.1 Energy Recovery . . 65
4.10.2 Novel Added-Value Materials/Products . . 68
References . . 77

5 Research Methods . . 81

6 Overview of the Baltic Region Countries . . 83
6.1 Main Economic Activities . . 83
6.1.1 Belarus . . 83
6.1.2 Estonia . . 85
6.1.3 Germany . . 87
6.1.4 Latvia . . 87
6.1.5 Lithuania . . 87
6.1.6 Poland . . 88
6.1.7 Sweden . . 89
6.2 Renewable Energy . . 90
6.3 Food Consumption and Undernourishment . . 91
6.3.1 Poverty Level . . 91
6.3.2 Undernourishment . . 92
6.3.3 European Food Aid . . 93
6.3.4 Food Expenditures . . 94
6.4 Biodegradable Waste . . 96
6.4.1 Legislation . . 96
6.4.2 Waste Generation and Treatment . . 96
References . . 103

7 The State of the Problem of Food Waste in the Baltic Region Countries . . 107
7.1 Food Waste Generation in the Baltic . . 107
7.1.1 Food Waste Amounts According to the FAO Food Balance Sheets . . 110
7.1.2 Food Waste Generated Based on the FAO Technical Conversion Factors—Extraction Rates . . 124
7.1.3 Belarus . . 125
7.1.4 Estonia . . 129
7.1.5 Germany . . 129
7.1.6 Latvia . . 134
7.1.7 Lithuania . . 135
7.1.8 Poland . . 137
7.1.9 Sweden . . 139
7.2 Food Waste Treatment . . 144
7.2.1 Belarus . . 145
7.2.2 Biological Treatment in Belarus . . 146
7.2.3 Estonia . . 147
7.2.4 Germany . . 149
7.2.5 Latvia . . 154
7.2.6 Lithuania . . 156
7.2.7 Poland . . 158
7.2.8 Sweden . . 161
References . . 170

8 Discussion . . 177
8.1 Food Waste Generation . . 178
8.1.1 Food Waste Amounts According to the FAO Food Balance Sheets . . 180
8.1.2 Food Waste Generated Based on the FAO Technical Conversion Factors—Extraction Rates . . 181
8.1.3 Situation in Individual Countries . . 181
8.2 Food Waste Treatment . . 186
8.2.1 Belarus . . 186
8.2.2 Estonia . . 187
8.2.3 Germany . . 188
8.2.4 Latvia . . 189
8.2.5 Lithuania . . 189
8.2.6 Poland . . 190
8.2.7 Sweden . . 192
References . . 192

9 Conclusions and Recommendations . . 193
9.1 Conclusions . . 193
9.1.1 Belarus . . 194
9.1.2 Estonia . . 195
9.1.3 Germany . . 195
9.1.4 Latvia . . 196
9.1.5 Lithuania . . 197
9.1.6 Poland . . 197
9.1.7 Sweden . . 198
9.2 Recommendations . . 199
9.2.1 Belarus . . 200
9.2.2 Estonia . . 201
9.2.3 Germany . . 201
9.2.4 Latvia . . 202
9.2.5 Lithuania . . 202
9.2.6 Poland . . 203
9.2.7 Sweden . . 203
References . . 204

Appendix A: Questionnaire in English . . 205
Appendix B: Questionnaire in Russian . . 211
Glossary . . 217