Author: bc_admin

“Greece has the highest rates of food waste in Europe and this makes the need to create solutions in our country even more urgent,” explains Christos Kokkoros, initiator of Bring it Back. Let’s see what it is and how it works.

“Bring it Back is a food management app, it manages food that is fresh today, but at the end of the day it will not be disposed of, so it is withdrawn and thrown away. This contributes to the creation of a vicious cycle, which results in a negative impact on the environment, increases food waste and increases the global shortage of food, with all that this implies” Christos Kokkoros tells us and continues: “The goal is for the Bring it Back community to keep growing until there is food for everyone without an environmental footprint.”

– How does it work?

So through Bring it Back we give the products a second chance to be bought by the consumer at a preferential price, with the common goal of mutual profit for both the store, through the reduction of the food cost, and for the consumer through the preferential purchase price. What we end up doing is creating a virtuous circle that helps reduce food waste and protect environmental resources.

– Why is it important that we all understand the need for zero waste?

Environmental pollution from food that is produced but not consumed has increased alarmingly. Greece has the highest rates of food waste in Europe and this makes the need to create solutions in our country even more urgent. Bring it Back was created to reduce this waste and move Greece out of this negative position. In this way, it creates ecological awareness among consumers and enables them to contribute to the idea in a profitable way for them as well, by allowing them to buy the leftover fresh food at a very special price. The range of choices is wide, from restaurants, cafes to bakeries, super markets and hotels.

– How has the world embraced it?

Already the response of consumers and shops is great, realizing the magnitude of the problem and the usefulness of the project.
The interaction has two pillars, the consumer and the store, by creating the Bring it Back app, our community connects restaurants with consumers.
Consumers can find the Bring it Back app available in stores (Play – App) for use on any mobile device. Once installed, he can choose the type of store, the time he wants to buy the bag of products he wants from his favorite – nearest store and a pleasant surprise awaits him when he goes to pick it up, as the magic box (bag) will show him what is different inside each time.

– How much does technology help in the end?

A greater response is observed in younger age groups, due to the ease of use of technology and familiarity with it, along with active participation in social media, which are a modern source of knowledge, learning and reflection. But even older people are now using technology as an integral part of everyday life. The daily friction and the ability to provide real-time news reinforces activation on every issue related to society, the environment and the waste of the Earth’s resources.

-Let’s say I have a bakery and I want to join BringitBack. What should I do?

The shop, if someone from the Bring it Back team has not already visited it, can be contacted through our official website via the site www.bringit-back.com as well as on our official social pages, expressing his interest and our company’s sales team will immediately visit him. Booking an appointment is very easy, within 15 minutes you will be part of the Bring it Back community. By activating their account, we enhance their image through the app with a description of the store and photos that we choose together! The management is very simple and with a little updating, even someone who has nothing to do with technology can use it via their smart phone, tablet or computer!

-Do you feel that something is changing in people’s perception of this issue?

Surely, because people today are aware of the burden on the environment and the waste of the Earth’s resources, they feel responsible to help in any way they consider useful! In addition, more and more businesses, particularly in the food and catering sector, are highlighting the problem and trying to reduce or even eliminate their environmental footprint.

Source : https://www.in.gr

Food waste is perhaps one of the biggest problems of our generation, as at least 1/3 of the food produced globally ends up in the trash. But several companies around the world are throwing themselves into the battle to tackle the problem, while inspiring consumers to change their habits and lifestyles…

The example of Copenhagen

The world’s first food waste supermarket opened in Copenhagen! Within six months of opening, the store received over 40 tons of food destined for the garbage, which in turn was marketed at half the price of fresh produce. After nine months, it became so popular that they had to open a second branch, with consumers choosing it for their daily shopping!

The idea is taking off around the world

The UK’s first food waste supermarket was opened by the Real Junk Food Project in Leeds last year and now more are opening in Sheffield, Bradford, Brighton, Wigan, Northampton, Birmingham, Leicester and London.

Founder Adam Smith started with pay-as-you-feel cafes, cooking food destined for the bin for customers who could pay whatever amount they wanted for a meal made entirely from ingredients that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Food waste is the common denominator of a lack of respect for nature, for society, for the people who produce the food, for the animals, but also a lack of respect for our time and money! Every citizen has the power to contribute to solving the problem, either by changing their consumption habits or by promoting smart business ideas with a significant social impact.

Source: globalcitizen.com
https://convergences.gr/stories/%CE%B5ntrepreneurship/%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%82-%CE%BB%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B5-%CF%8C%CF%87%CE%B9-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-food-waste/

Food waste costs around €143 billion. to the European economy every year and is responsible for 15% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the supply chain. There is no time to lose, as we have less than 10 years to reverse the current situation. Greece needs to take immediate action and stop showing unjustified inaction.

Food production has emerged as one of the biggest threats to the environment today, contributing among other things to the climate crisis. By 2030, food loss and waste should be reduced by 50%, according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. But the European Union needs to take significant steps to achieve this, as its progress has so far been slow, according to a joint report by WWF and UK-based WRAP.

It is now imperative that we change the way we produce, distribute and consume food. It is a problem with environmental, economic and social implications. Important habitats are destroyed for food production, putting thousands o At the same time, while 112 million Europeans are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, it is estimated that on average each person in the EU throws away 173 kg of food per year. Recognising the importance of sustainable food production, the UN has designated ²⁹ September as International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day.

The WWF and WRAP report, entitled “Halving food loss and waste in the EU by 2030”, assesses past and current actions to reduce waste across the supply chain, highlights good practices and calls for immediate implementation of measures in the EU. As highlighted in the study, although changes in the regulatory framework have been made in recent years, they need to be accompanied by further actions to effectively accelerate the reduction of food waste. To this end, the report highlights the following three pillars on which EU Member States should focus:

• Measuring waste: Measuring food waste is one of the most effective actions to reduce food loss and wastage, as it helps to identify and prioritise the causes of the problem, facilitating the design of interventions and monitoring progress. A European Directive (2018/851) has established the obligation for all Member States to carry out measurements in a consistent and common method, while the first pan-European measurement at national level is planned for 2020.
• Utilisation of food residues: another very important measure is to provide financial support for research and innovation on the safe and efficient use of food residues for processed food, feed, chemicals or other materials.
• A stricter regulatory framework: Additional regulation in the form of legislation is recommended to make it mandatory to prevent food waste in specific sectors (e.g. retail or hospitality), to prevent unfair commercial practices leading to waste at farm level or to make waste measurement mandatory for all large food businesses. Indeed, the new EU strategy “From Farm to Plate” is expected to encourage further action in this direction by Member States over the next decade.

Unjustified inaction by Greece

Although Greece has been experiencing an economic and social crisis for years, with a significant number of citizens plagued by food insecurity, the legislative initiatives that the country has undertaken so far to reduce food waste (e.g. the VAT exemption for food donations under Law 4238/2014) are minimal and insufficient. At the same time, Greece does not yet have data on the amount of waste or the qualitative composition of food waste, while the new National Waste Management Plan (NWMP), published in August, makes no mention whatsoever of waste reduction actions. On the contrary, according to the ECHR, it is estimated that Greece will not see a decrease until 2030.

But inaction cannot be an option. In this context, WWF Hellas has proposed to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE) the immediate adoption of the following measures:

• Goal setting: When transposing the relevant European directive, a specific target for reducing food waste – namely a 50% reduction along the production and supply chain by 2030 – should be set.
• Measuring and quantifying the amount of waste: Although ELSTAT has included in its planning the preparation of a measurement of waste, care must be taken to ensure its timely implementation by the end of 2020, so that the current situation can be captured on the basis of the significant findings.
• Introduction of mandatory food waste registration in food handling and marketing businesses.
• Provide incentives to enhance food donation, through the development of financial instruments and the clarification of criminal liability in the donation process.
• Immediate development of an action plan to prevent food losses, including sectoral measures. Among other things, it is proposed to carry out research to identify the causes of waste and find solutions, to legislate for simple and common labelling rules to facilitate consumers, to change marketing standards to reduce the amount of ineligible fruit and vegetables for aesthetic reasons, and to promote action on short products so that they can be made available to consumers at lower prices.

Source : https://www.wwf.gr/?uNewsID=919116

Even if we are bombarded on daily basis with information about climate crisis, the fact that our planet is at risk of pollution and wasting energy resources, and an acute food crisis, we still fail to understand that every year a third of the world’s food production ends up in the trash. From any point of view: economic (we are talking about losses of $680 billion per year), moral (millions of people are not only undernourished but starving), Environmental (along with food, all the natural resources consumed in its production are lost) the situation is out of control.

A large part of the change can be brought by businesses themselves, especially those in the food supply chain. They can do a lot to change these numbers, while benefiting themselves.

How exactly can a business benefit from shifting to an operating model that reduces – and ideally eliminates – Food Waste? Beyond our collective interest in protecting the planet, there are plenty of self-interested reasons for adopting such good practices, especially when we can demonstrate that we are implementing them

How exactly can a business benefit from shifting to an operating model that reduces – and ideally eliminates – Food Waste? Beyond our collective interest in protecting the planet, there are plenty of self-interested reasons for adopting such good practices, especially when we can demonstrate that we are implementing them

Reducing operating costs

In many cases, businesses are finding that they can get very close to achieving their goal through streamlining their orders. If much of your supplies end up in the wastebasket, chances are you can reduce the volume of some or the goods you buy.

Fresh ideas

The adoption of a mobile application that reduces Food Waste, can bring whole-fresh ideas for utilizing of food that you’ve been throwing away without a second thought. There are many well-known and award-winning restaurants around the world that choose to use corresponding ideas.

We reintroduce ourselves to customers

A considerable proportion of consumers now, seem to be quite aware of the Environmental crisis, while at the same time seeking to receive services and choose companies that demonstrate social responsibility, especially in matters relating to Environmental protection. Therefore, companies that can demonstrate that they do indeed have a conscientious attitude, have a lot to gain.

In addition to the fact that combating Food Waste to create a more sustainable future and reducing Food Waste by 50%, is part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it should also be a goal of every business.

source: https://www.in.gr/2021/11/22/plus/ta-nea-tis-agoras/no-food-waste-ti-exoun-na-kerdisoun-oi-epixeiriseis-mathoun-na-min-petane-fagito-tous/

The need to reduce food loss and waste is a global problem. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about one third of all food produced around the world is lost or wasted in the journey from farm to fork. In the EU, annual food loss or waste is estimated at around 87.6 million tonnes.

Losses and waste exacerbate food insecurity, malnutrition and water consumption, while world hunger is increasing. Inefficiencies in the food supply and consumption chain also have serious environmental impacts. Reducing food loss and waste helps fight hunger and climate change.

The EU and its Member States are committed, through the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to halve per capita food waste at retail and consumer level by 2030 and to reduce food losses throughout production and supply chains.

What is the difference?

Food loss: occurs before food reaches the consumer (due to deficiencies in the food production and processing stage)

Food waste: occurs after food reaches the consumer (due to inadequacies at the consumption stage)

How the EU tackles food loss and waste

The EU and its Member States are taking concrete measures to prevent food loss and waste. Only when this is not possible do they suggest reusing, recycling or using the food for other purposes. The guiding principles are enshrined in the EU Waste Directive, which calls on Member States and citizens to:

• reduce food waste generation from primary production to distribution
• reduce food waste in households
• encourage the donation of food
• monitor and evaluate the implementation of their measures to prevent food waste

Other measures aimed at reducing food loss and waste could include reprocessing into non-food products such as animal feed, composting and others.

In the Council

In 2016, the Council made a political commitment to a number of initiatives such as improving the monitoring of food waste, raising awareness, improving understanding and use of the expiry date (including among consumers) and facilitating the donation of unsold food to charities.

In 2018, the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries made a first assessment of the progress made in implementing their political commitments. In this assessment, they summarised the measures taken at national level such as the extension of the list of foods exempted from ‘best before‘ labelling, the amendment of national legislation establishing waste classification rules, date labelling and donation rules.

European Green Deal

The Commission gave new impetus to tackling the issue of food loss and waste when it presented the European Green Deal in December 2019. The EU’s commitment to halve per capita food waste at retail and consumer level by 2030 will take shape in the policies and instruments set out in the new action plan for the circular economy, the farm-to-plate strategy and the biodiversity strategy, all published in 2020.

Source: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/el/policies/food-losses-waste/

According to a recent WWF study, it is estimated that almost 40% of food produced worldwide is thrown away every year. In practice, some 2.5 billion tonnes of food already produced will never be consumed, and could easily feed millions of people on the planet in need. In Europe, food waste amounts to 88 million tonnes per year and costs the European economy around EUR 143 billion. According to EU Fusions, 12% of food waste in the EU is attributed to food services (restaurants, catering, etc.), while 59% of food waste recorded in food service is edible.

In Greece, with the new law 4819/2021, measures are taken for the first time to reduce food waste. In particular, food wastage should be reduced by 30% by 2030 compared to levels measured in 2022. In this context, among others, catering businesses with a turnover of more than three hundred thousand euros (€300,000), large catering businesses with an annual turnover of more than five hundred thousand euros (€500,000), supermarkets and hotels with more than 100 beds are now obliged to register on a special electronic platform the food waste they produce annually.

Source: https://www.ertnews.gr/eidiseis/epistimi/food-providers-food-waste-fighters-symmachia-kata-tis-spatalis-trofimon-sto-catering/