A2UFood - Avoidable and Unavoidable Food Wastes: A Holistic Managing Approach for Urban Environments

Challenges: The amounts of food wastes, both avoidable (AFW) and unavoidable (UFW), that are produced in a daily basis in the EU and generally in the urban environment, the pressure that production and management (disposal) impose in the various resources, the environment and the economy, and the legal requirements to reduce the wastes and utilize them as part of the circular economy.

Solutions: A holistic management scheme in which all aspects are included, meaning reduction of AFW, utilization of UFW as raw materials, and proper final disposal/management of UFW. In the core of the A2UFood was the hospitality sector (hotels and restaurants).

Innovative character: A range of innovative tools were used, as for example, a software for supporting families to reduce the AFW, a software / hardware for reducing AFW in restaurants / hotels, a second opportunity food restaurant, a bio-plastic bio-refinery production system for UFW utilization (production of compostable bags), a range of state of the art autonomous composting units, where treatment can take place on site, next to the houses producing the wastes (utilizing the compostable bags mentioned above).

Expected results: Reduce the amounts of AFW, utilize UFW as raw materials and treat them in an environmentally friendly and economic beneficiary manner. In addition make all experiences, knowledge, information and data, available for anyone who would like to transfer and apply the A2UFood scheme in other urban environments.

During its implementation, the UIA project has capitalised on its experience so that it can be shared with peers. The outputs displayed on this page are the result of this process.