Dear reader,
to mark the occasion of World Food Day, we are excited to present to you an update on food waste research and news in Europe in the 2nd REFRESH Newsletter. Below you will find news and results from the REFRESH project, information about upcoming events, highlights from past events, and important food waste news from Europe. Enjoy!
REFRESH News and Results
1. REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest launched
REFRESH has launched its Food Waste Solution Contest and is looking for the freshest ideas to tackle food waste across Europe. The contest aims to highlight and support solutions to food waste and food packaging waste at any part(s) of the food chain. Anyone from Europe that has developed a food waste innovation - including individuals, organisations, start-ups and large companies – is encouraged to submit a video or visual essay about their project. The deadline for submissions is 30 November 2016.
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2. REFRESH: first major milestones met by National Platforms across Europe
REFRESH has met its first major milestones, with National Platforms now established in Germany, Spain, Hungary and The Netherlands. We have worked closely with each of our pilot partners to develop a Framework Agreement (FA) based on the principles of Courtauld 2025 and shaped to be relevant to priorities in each country. All of the FA’s align to the delivery of UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
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3. Inventory and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Existing Approaches to Voluntary Alliances
Industry-led voluntary (Framework) Agreements can be an alternative way of effecting change, without the need for legislative action. This report explores each stage of establishing a Framework Agreement, drawing on the experience of similar alliances to provide a greater understanding of the prime conditions to both establish and manage a Framework for Action.
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4. REFRESH action in China
REFRESH action in China is picking up speed, including research, a policy proposal, preparation of the national platform, funding applications, and kick-off conference preparation.
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5. "Medium" List of Waste Streams Appropriate for Valorisation
The REFRESH project has evaluated the key EU waste streams having significant environmental impact. Over 290 waste streams were identified, scored and reviewed to produce a list of priority waste streams for further study. The list includes brewers’ spent grains, oil press cake and meat & dairy side-streams such as slaughter by-products and whey, as well as apple pomace, orange peel and tomato pomace.
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6. Prototype Web App: Waste or Animal Feed?
The United Nations estimates that if farmers around the world fed their livestock on the food that we currently waste and on agricultural by-products, enough grain would be liberated to feed an extra three billion people. To help food businesses contribute to such a grand waste-free future, REFRESH is building a web app for businesses to clarify which surplus food is suitable, and what needs to be done to send the food to animal feed in a safe and legal way.
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7. What do consumers say about why they waste food?
Finding out how to prevent in-home food waste requires insights into consumer behaviours, opinions, and day-to-day lives. To gain this knowledge, REFRESH organised twenty-four focus group discussions, six each in Germany, Hungary, Spain and The Netherlands. The focus groups delivered a variety of striking findings.
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8. How to measure in-home food waste in consumer households
Results from a study comparing various methods to measure the amount of food waste - This study shows which survey questions appear suitable to measure food waste in large surveys, and which can best be avoided. It also provides insights in new measurement methods for smaller samples.
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Upcoming Events
9. REFRESH Multi-Stakeholder Conference in Spring 2017 in Berlin
Mark your calendars! In Spring 2017 in Berlin, the REFRESH Conference will bring together diverse stakeholder groups working on food waste from across Europe. The conference will include presentations and interactive sessions with REFRESH researchers, networking sessions, presentation of the REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest winners, as well as a public food waste event together with REFRESH partner Feedback. REFRESH will also collaborate with the Food Surplus Entrepreneurs Network to bring food waste innovators and experts together in an incubator for food waste projects. More information on the conference will follow in the next months on eu-refresh.org and on our Twitter and Facebook - stay tuned!
10. Call for abstracts on the food waste management and valorisation sector’s role in a circular economy
The role of food waste management in a circular economy will be the topic of a dedicated session at the next Life Cycle Management conference LCM 2017 in Luxembourg. The panel discussion will explore the role the waste management and valorisation sector plays in regards to food waste as industry and society moves towards a circular economy. The call for abstracts is open until December 15th, 2016.
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Past Events
11. Second meeting of the REFRESH project partners in Barcelona
On the 7th and 8th of September 2016 the second meeting of the partners of the EU REFRESH project took place at the headquarters of CREDA-UPC-IRTA in Barcelona. The aim of the meeting was to examine the project's progress and jointly define future actions against food waste. In line with REFRESH objectives and values, catering services were provided by the social enterprise Espigoladors that demonstrated in a delicious way that it is possible to be sustainable.
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12. The role of food waste recovery in a circular economy
Nicole Unger from the REFRESH team presented at ISEKI Food Waste Recovery workshop on 5th July 2016 in Vienna. She gave a presentation on the role of food waste recovery in a circular economy. The presentation covered the broad context of circular economy and food waste. The work of the REFRESH project was also presented.
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Food Waste News
13. WRAP Director R. Swannell discusses progress towards SDG 12.3 and REFRESH’s contribution
The World Resources Institute (WRI) published the first report this month assessing the world’s progress toward Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which calls on all nations to halve food waste and reduce food loss by 2030. Given the magnitude of food loss and waste globally, the report recommends nations, cities and businesses in the food supply chain move quickly to set reduction targets, measure progress and take action to reduce food loss and waste. Read WRAP Director R. Swannell’s Huffington Post article about the findings of the report and how REFRESH is helping reduce food waste in the EU by following the link below.
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14. EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste
The EU launched the Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste (FLW) that aims to support the EU and its Member States in contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3 to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030, and reduce food losses along the food production and supply chain.
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15. FUSIONS project ends, food waste findings from taken up in EU circular economy strategy
The FUSIONS project has laid the ground for more accurate data on food waste, while simultaneously showing how social innovation contributes to solving this complex societal challenge.
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About REFRESH
REFRESH (Resource Efficient Food and dRink for Entire Supply cHain) is an EU research project taking action against food waste. 26 partners from 12 European countries and China work towards the project's goal to contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of halving per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, reducing waste management costs, and maximizing the value from un-avoidable food waste and packaging materials. Read more ...
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REFRESH Newsletter
Publisher: Ecologic Institute, Pfalzburger Str. 43/44, 10717 Berlin
Editor: Stephanie Wunder, Ecologic Institute, Pfalzburger Str. 43/44, 10717 Berlin
Legal Notice: http://eu-refresh.org/legal-notice
Contact: info@eu-refresh.org
Website: http://eu-refresh.org
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