Food waste quantities, carbon footprint and nutrient loss in university students' households in Sweden

IF 10.9 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Sustainable Production and Consumption Pub Date : 2025-01-30 DOI:10.1016/j.spc.2025.01.017

Christopher Malefors, Amanda Sjölund, Niina Sundin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Food waste in households poses a significant barrier to achieving sustainable food systems. This study examines food waste generated by university student households in Sweden, focusing on its weight, carbon footprint, and nutritional impacts. Using kitchen diaries, 109 students quantified their waste by weight over two weeks. On average, 115 g/person/day of food was wasted, with 46 g/person/day classified as avoidable or edible. Avoidable waste generated a carbon footprint of 1.3 kg CO₂e/kg food waste and contained key nutrients, such as dietary fiber (4.7 g/MJ) and folate (56 μg/MJ). Notably, the top 10 % of waste items accounted for 47 % of total waste and 62 % of the carbon footprint. Reducing waste from this fraction by half could achieve a 23.7 % reduction in total waste. When scaled to the national level, food waste from university students in Sweden is estimated to generate 9950 tonnes of CO₂e annually. The findings highlight the importance of targeting both high‑carbon-impact and nutrient-rich waste to align with environmental and public health objectives. Educational interventions and automated waste tracking are recommended to foster sustainable consumption patterns.

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来源期刊

Sustainable Production and Consumption Environmental Science-Environmental Engineering

CiteScore

17.40

自引率

7.40%

发文量

389

审稿时长

13 days

期刊介绍： Sustainable production and consumption refers to the production and utilization of goods and services in a way that benefits society, is economically viable, and has minimal environmental impact throughout its entire lifespan. Our journal is dedicated to publishing top-notch interdisciplinary research and practical studies in this emerging field. We take a distinctive approach by examining the interplay between technology, consumption patterns, and policy to identify sustainable solutions for both production and consumption systems.