© Pexels-Cottonbro-Studio

Food Waste Reduction Collaboration with

Practical Guide
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Shenzhen One Planet Foundation
Shenzhen One Planet Foundation is a 4A non-public raising foundation registered in Shenzhen. Its purpose is to create a bright future in which human
beings live in harmony with nature by protecting biodiversity, reducing ecological footprint and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.

World Wide Fund for Nature

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the world’s most prestigious and largest independent non-governmental conservation organization. It has
more than 5.2 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries and regions. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the
planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring
that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS is a multidisciplinary research institute focusing on, among other things,
physical geography and global change, human geography and regional development, natural resources and the environment, geographical
information systems and surface simulation, the terrestrial water cycle and water resources, ecosystem network observation and modeling, and
Chinese agricultural policy. Through research in these domains, the institute aims to solve major natural resource and environmental problems

Foreword
related to national sustainable development and improve its own innovative capacity at the same time.

Rare Center for Behavior

Rare China Center for Behavior applies behavioral science to advance environmental sustainability. Our vision is to transform the environmental field
Food waste is a social issue. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions on many
by scaling the adoption of behavior-centered design principles and practices, equipping government agents, businesses and non-profit organizations
occasions, stressing the need to resolutely stop food waste. Each party in the food supply chain, from farm to
with a comprehensive toolkit of behavior change strategies.
fork should assume its own social responsibility. Catering businesses, as catering service providers, should
also actively implement the concept of stopping food waste by taking actions that can encourage green
Drafting agencies and copyright: consumption decisions.The China Hospitality Association (CHA) and related industry organizations have
launched multiple initiatives calling on the whole industry to stop food waste and encourage green consump-
Shenzhen One Planet Foundation
World Wide Fund for Nature Beijing Office tion through joint efforts such as small portions of dishes, the “Clean Your Plate”campaign, individual serving,

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS green catering, and consumption reminders. These initiatives in which catering businesses take an active
Rare Center for Behavior part have yielded positive social results.
The intellectual property rights of this guide are jointly owned by the above four parties.
In order to provide guidance to catering enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones, for reducing
food waste in an efficient manner through refined management of the whole process from purchase, storage,
This guide is developed with tremendous support from China Hospitality Association. and processing to service, Shenzhen One Planet Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature Beijing Office, and
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
have developed the Food Waste Reduction Practical Guide under the guidance of CHA. These organizations
Main drafters:
collected the typical practices of many small and medium-sized catering enterprises through a literature
Liu Xiaojie, Hao Xiuping, Yu Xin, Wang Hongyue, Tan Xiao, Li Shiyang, Liu Jiamei, Jia Wenli review and a field investigation, carefully analyzed and summarized the advanced experiences, and solicited
the suggestions and opinions of head chefs and general managers of catering enterprises. After several
Exclusion of liability rounds of revision, discussion, argumentation and consultation, the report was drafted and finalized, with a
view to providing important guidance on food waste reduction for micro, small and medium-sized catering
This guide is jointly prepared and released by Shenzhen One Planet Foundation and Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources
enterprises. It also has strong practical value as a tutorial and reference for further food waste reduction
Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under the guidance of China Hospitability Association. The opinions and recommendations contained
publicity and training of catering enterprises.
in the report are for information sharing and academic reference only, and nothing in the report is intended as research, business or legal advice.
Neither the institute nor the author assumes any legal responsibility for any consequences arising from the reliance or use of the information This guide is subject to constant improvement in the practice of guiding food waste reduction in micro, small
contained in this report.
and medium-sized catering enterprises, expected to enhance the code of conduct and drive the implementa-
tion of standards in this sector.
Disclaimer:
Song Xiaoxi, Vice President and Secretary General of China Hospitality Association
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole
responsibility of copyright owners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Funded by the
European Union
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has long been committed to environmental protection, and made China has always attached great importance to food waste reduction. Highlighting food security and loss
active efforts to build sustainable food systems and reduce food waste, while calling on all stakeholders to reduction, General Secretary Xi Jinping has given important instructions on many occasions to practice
take action to halve food waste by 2030. economy and oppose waste. On April 29, 2021, the Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China
was adopted at the 28th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC),
WWF's Food Manifesto released at the recent 27th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC
elevating thrift and frugality from a moral level to a legal norm. Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises
(COP 27) clearly underlined the importance of transformation in food systems. Currently, food systems
(MSMEs), which account for 97% of the total catering companies nationwide, have a crucial role to play in
account for around 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. A nature-positive food system will contribute to
food waste reduction efforts. Better empowering MSMEs to reduce food waste is a grave challenge facing the
carbon reduction and sequestration. A systematic approach is needed to enable food systems to deliver on
catering industry, as well as other parties concerned.
their potential in climate change mitigation. Action should be taken in the dimensions of production, consump-
tion, and food loss and waste to ensure food system emissions in alignment with a 1.5°C future. In July 2020, with the support of the European Union Switch-Asia Program, the Shenzhen One Planet
Foundation launched the "Pride on our Plates" project, together with its strategic partner WWF Beijing Office
As a major catering country, China has both the challenge and the responsibility of promoting the sustainable
and other partners, which calls on catering MSMEs in China to join the fight against food waste. Over the past
transformation of its catering industry. The "Pride on our Plates" project is a key project of WWF Beijing Office
two years, the Food Waste Reduction Casebook (Summary Report) has been published, and pilot training
to reduce food waste. We believe that the outreach and implementation of the Food Waste Reduction
and workshop for catering enterprises has been carried out in six cities across the country. This project has
Practical Guide will provide more effective methods and tools for catering operators to boost the sustainable
embraced the support and engagement of government departments, industry associations and many
development of catering industry through mutual learning and continuous innovation.
catering enterprises, as well as widespread public recognition.
Zhou Fei, Chief Program Officer, WWF Beijing Office
The Food Waste Reduction Practical Guide not only crystallizes the wisdom and experience of industry
scholars and many front-line experts, but also embodies the research results of the "Pride on our Plates"
project since its launch, providing scientific and effective guidance on food waste reduction for catering
enterprises and operators in a wide range from procurement, storage, processing to service. The "Pride on
our Plates" project is expected to continue empowering the catering industry through the release of the Guide.

Ding Gan, Secretary General, Shenzhen One Planet Foundation

 Catering Industry:
Mainstay of Food Waste Reduction
Contents
Reducing food loss and waste is an important and urgent global issue for
improving food security. As a major participant in the downstream of food supply
chain, catering businesses can promote food waste reduction at the consumption
1.3
billion tons
Catering Industry: Mainstay of Food Waste Reduction 1 end and at the food supply end, facilitating the achievement of United Nations
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3, and contributing to the global
endeavor to end hunger while maintaining national food security.
What Can Catering Enterprises Benefit From Reducing Food Waste? 2
1.
Roughly one-third of all food produced
What Are the Principles to Follow for Reducing Food Waste? 3
2.37
in the world––approximately 1.3 bil-
lion tons––gets lost or wasted, ac-

Three Steps to Reduce Food Waste in Restaurants 4

billion
2. cording to the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [1].
In 2020, between 720 and 811 mil-

1 Preparation Phase 5 lion people worldwide faced hunger,

and nearly one in three people
2 Implementation Phase 10 around the world (2.37 billion) did

22
not have access to adequate food.
3 Summary and Outreach 16 %

3. 7 %
feeds of the global
population

4.
of the world's
Restaurant Food Waste Journey 17 Global food systems are facing un-
precedented pressure and chal-
arable land

lenges amid the COVID-19 epi- China, a major agricultural

demic, coupled with more frequent
Annex 19 extreme weather events such as
country, feeds 22% of the
global population with 7%
hurricanes and downpours. of the world's arable land.
1 Kitchen Waste Monitoring Checklist 19
2 Service Expressions Reference 20
5.
China loses approximately 67.5 billion kilograms

3 Gamified Training Tools 22 of food from farm to table each year, accounting
for about 11% of total grain output, according to a
4 Storage and Management of Food Ingredients 23 sample survey conducted by the National Food
and Strategic Reserves Administration (NFSRA).
5 Survey on Food Loss and Waste Reduction Difficulties and Challenges for Catering 25

This guide is designed to provide guidance on food waste reduction practices for Chinese micro, small and medium-sized catering
Reference 27 enterprises (catering MSMEs) to help them overcome food-waste challenges and gradually establish and practice green business
models and consumption patterns.

According to the Measures for the Classification of Large, Medium, Small

What are and Micro-Enterprises in Statistics (2017) [2], catering enterprises with less
the criteria than 300 employees or operating revenue of less than 10 million yuan are
for catering classified as MSMEs; each restaurant or store of a chain catering enter-

© 2022Oct11 - Library
MSMEs? prise can be considered as an MSME where it is an independent legal
- 10 files_WW1208950 entity registered by the Industrial and Commercial Administration, with a
relatively independent management structure.

1
 What Can Catering Enterprises Benefit What Are the Principles to Follow
From Reducing Food Waste? for Reducing Food Waste?

1 Safety priority
and green development 2 Institutionalized guidance
and regulated operation

1 Demonstrate social
responsibility
Strictly comply with relevant laws and regulations, such as
the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, the
Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China, and
Catering enterprises should strengthen institutionalized manage-
ment, develop and improve rules, regulations and standards related

2
to reducing food waste.
the Code of Practice for Food Safety in Catering Services;
Establish regulations with practical measures, and facilitate
Create a favorable business environment together; Improve Foster the concept of civilized, healthy and green develop- the implementation to promote the behavior change;
Pave the cornerstone of their own long-term sus- brand image ment, advocate resource-saving and environment-friendly
Develop detailed measurements for all key components
tainable development. consumption patterns, and promote systematic resource
Enhance the sense of worth of the brand along the supply chain.
conservation in food supply chain without compromising the
by adding green and environmental value; quality and safety of catering products.
Boost exchanges and interactions with en-
vironment-friendly consumer groups, and
improve brand operation and reputation.

3 Increase
operating efficiency

In restaurant operations, food waste ac-

counts for about 8–20% of food cost [3].

4
Catering businesses save $7 for every $1
invested in cutting food waste [4].
Upgrade
management capacity

Optimized menu design, scientific storage man-

agement, standardized operation, dining ser-

5
vice improvement, and kitchen waste monitor-
ing, The lean management will help improve:
Strengthen employee Catering business management;
capability and loyalty

3 4
Operational efficiency and benefits;
Consumer dining experience.
Enhance employees' sense of social responsibility
Collaborative deployment Targeted measures accord-
and corporate identity through publicity and education;
and refined management ing to various conditions
Improve employees' professionalism and cost-saving
Strengthen collaborative management and systemic deploy- The causes of catering waste vary among catering enterprises
skills through professional skills training to help enter-
ment among various departments of catering enterprises. and consumer groups, and so does the degree of food waste in
prises reduce cost and increase efficiency.
different links, positions, and behaviors of catering companies.
Coordination and mutual feedback of processes before,
during and after meals; Effective measures should be taken to address sources and key
links of food waste on a case-by-case basis. An innovative prob-
Collaboration with staff engaged in purchasing, distribu-
lem-oriented targeted approach should be applied to maximize
tion, cooking, service, etc.;
control effectiveness and effectively stop food waste.
Joint action with upstream and downstream suppliers,
brands, consumers, etc.

2 3
 PREPARATION THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD
PHASE I WASTE IN RESTAURANTS

Three Steps to Reduce Food Waste

in Restaurants
1.1 Get a quick understanding of restaurant
1PREPARATION food waste with self-assessment form

PHASE
Below are 25 common food waste scenarios in
restaurants. Please give scores according to the
actual situation to make clear the food waste situa-
tion in your restaurant.

1. Preparation
phase No. Restaurant self-assessment checklist
Think of the typical week in your restaurant.
Choose 5 if the situation happens a lot,
and 1 if the situation happens infrequently
(Choose 5 if this item is not applicable)
Restaurant
1 Moderate amount of dishes without surplus variety of ingredients 5 4 3 2 1
Evaluation
1.1 Get a quick understanding
Form
of restaurant food waste 2 Moderate portion of dishes without much surplus 5 4 3 2 1
with self-assessment form
3 Single set, half portions or small portions of dishes available 5 4 3 2 1
1.2 Set up a project team comprised
4 Full use of all parts of ingredients without unreasonable surplus 5 4 3 2 1
of key functional personnel

5 No wastage of prepared ingredients during menu changes 5 4 3 2 1

1.3 Measure, record and analyze
the basic situation of food waste
6 Delicious food, no bad reviews 5 4 3 2 1

7 Wastage of food due to cooking mistakes 5 4 3 2 1

8 Appropriate amount of dishes cooked on the day and all sold out 5 4 3 2 1

2. Implementation
Appropriate amount of dishes prepared the day before,
9 5 4 3 2 1
and all sold out on the day
phase
10 Customers do not return dishes due to unmet expectations or low quality 5 4 3 2 1

11 Use misshapen or "ugly" ingredients 5 4 3 2 1

2.1 Set reduction targets based
Reasonable preparation, without discarding trimmings
on basic data of restaurant 12 5 4 3 2 1
food waste that can still be used

13 Food cut into required shapes 5 4 3 2 1

2.2 Develop improvement mea-
sures, conduct reviews and 14 Reminding customers to order in moderation 5 4 3 2 1

© 2022Oct11 - Library - 10 files_WW1208948

adjustments on a regular
basis, and keep data re- 15 Timely feedback on customers' taboos and requests to the kitchen 5 4 3 2 1
cords continuously
16 Providing individual serving actively 5 4 3 2 1

3.
Encouraging clean plate and reminding customers
Summary and 17 to pack leftovers to go
5 4 3 2 1

outreach 18 Daily feedback on leftovers to the kitchen 5 4 3 2 1

© Pexels
-Engin-Akyurt
19 Purchase of safe and qualified ingredients with careful examination 5 4 3 2 1
3.1 Summarize project results
Efficient coordination of delivery time and method
and develop specification 20 5 4 3 2 1
manual and internal audit to ensure the supply of ingredients
mechanism
21 Quality of food materials up to the standard of the chef 5 4 3 2 1

3.2 Promote and share this suc- 22 Purchase on demand, with purchase plan developed 5 4 3 2 1
cessful case with branches
or in the sector 23 First-in first-out (FIFO) principle implemented for inventory management 5 4 3 2 1

Reasonable control of storage temperature and other conditions,

24 5 4 3 2 1
no spoilage of ingredients

Proper disposal of nearly expired ingredients

25 5 4 3 2 1
rather than discarding directly

Total score: (excellent if getting 100–125 points; good if getting 80–100 points;
necessary to work hard if below 80 points)

4 5
 THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD PREPARATION PREPARATION THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD
WASTE IN RESTAURANTS I PHASE PHASE I WASTE IN RESTAURANTS

1.2 Set up a project team comprised of 1.3 Measure, record and analyze the basic
key functional personnel situation of food waste
Restaurants can set up a food waste working
group comprised of employees in corresponding Daily measurement and record of food waste is essential for reduc-
positions according to the number of employees ing food waste as it helps restaurants understand the link, degree
and configurations of staffing. For restaurants with and changing trend of waste for developing targets and improve-
less than ten employees, one employee can un- ment measures. Records for at least two weeks are recommended,
dertake multiple responsibilities. in order to obtain more indicative data.

© 2022Oct11 - Library - 5 files_WW1208824

This guide divides
food waste
FOOD KITCHEN into four types
for measurement
SPOILAGE TRIMMINGS and record

A complete working group should

include the following roles:

Food loss during meal

Executive chef Discard of ingredients due to preparation in restaurants.
Purchasing specialist
properness before meal e.g. trimmings such as
Manage purchase schedule, Design innovative menus,
preparation. vegetable roots, leaves , skins,
coordinate suppliers and logistics optimize operating standards,
e.g. wilted leaves. etc.; vegetables discarded due
service providers, etc. develop purchase plans, etc.
to cooking mistakes, etc.

Person in charge
Warehousing specialist
Provide overall coordination,
design waste reduction
Kitchen assistant
UNSOLD PLATE
Strictly control storage operating rules
Sort, weigh,
and record the amount of PREPARED WASTE

© Pexels-Domenik-Drz
FOOD
conditions and facilities
wasted food, etc.

Service personnel

Guide consumers based

on professional communication skills,
collect dining feedback, etc. Discard of dishes that have
Financial specialist been prepared and met
Marketing specialist
Calculate cost savings and benefits, serving requirements, but not Leftovers on the table from
Formulate publicity plans, and quantify the effects of actions sold due to various reasons. consumers, with oil and
develop external partners, etc. e.g. surplus caused by meal water filtered out.
over-preparation; customers
return behavior.

Human resources
Organize employee capacity training,
design performance indicators, etc. * Where possible, restaurants can weigh vegetables and
meat separately, and calculate the ecological footprint
through the WeChat mini-program "Pride on our Plates"
developed by Shenzhen One Planet Foundation.

6 7
 THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD PREPARATION PREPARATION THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD
WASTE IN RESTAURANTS I PHASE PHASE I WASTE IN RESTAURANTS

01
Material Preparation
Case

In 2019, WWF Beijing Office measured and analyzed food waste reduction of five hotels in Changxing County,
Zhejiang Province. The effects of food waste reduction in one of the hotels are described as follows:

4 Trash
cans
Hotel D
Total amount and cumulative reduction of food
waste: The measured three-month food waste was about Hotel D
70 kg, worth RMB 943, equivalent to 372 kg of carbon di- Prepares meals according to
FOOD KITCHEN UNSOLD PLATE
SPOILAGE TRIMMINGS PREPARED WASTE the number of hotel guests and
Garbage FOOD oxide emissions. The three-month cumulative reduction
4 classification of food waste reached 286 kg, worth RMB 3778, equiva- makes reasonable arrange-

labels Discard of ingredients due to

properness before meal
Food loss during meal
preparation in restaurants.
e.g. trimmings such as
Discard of dishes that have
been prepared and met
serving requirements, but not Leftovers on the table from
lent to 1,228 kg of carbon dioxide emission reductions. ments for reworked leftovers.
The weekly comparison reveals that overall food waste
sold due to various reasons. consumers, with oil and
preparation. vegetable roots, leaves , skins,
e.g. surplus caused by meal water filtered out.
e.g. wilted leaves. etc.; vegetables discarded due
over-preparation; customers
to cooking mistakes, etc.
return behavior.

has a downward trend.

Overpreparation analysis: Overpreparation is the primary cause

of food waste in Hotel D, accounting for 75%. The graph indicates

1 Scale
that overpreparation decreased as compared with the benchmark
week. Such gradual reduction of weekly excess is attributed to
measures adopted after the benchmark week, such as rational use
of reworked food and menu re-examination according to the

14-day Food Waste Weighing Checklist

amount of waste food. From the perspective of stalls, the top three
overproduction stalls are Chinese food, noodles, bakery and
* Unit:KG/L

Please tick in the box : kg/ L

Start date: YY MM DD

Data
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Paper form (Please refer to Annex 1); or daily data input

FOOD KITCHEN
SPOILAGE TRIMMINGS

pastry. The top three cuisines in the Chinese stalls are Chinese
1
UNSOLD PLATE
PREPARED WASTE
FOOD

record
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

to the WeChat mini-program "Pride on our Plates" reg- beef dishes, other Chinese breakfast dishes, and Chinese vegeta-
form
FOOD KITCHEN UNSOLD PLATE
SPOILAGE TRIMMINGS PREPARED WASTE
FOOD

istered by scanning the QR code to automatically gen-

Discard of dishes that have
Food loss during meal

ble dishes.
been prepared and met
Discard of ingredients due to preparation in restaurants.
serving requirements, but not Leftovers on the table from
properness before meal e.g. trimmings such as
sold due to various reasons. consumers, with oil and
preparation. vegetable roots, leaves , skins,
e.g. surplus caused by meal water filtered out.
e.g. wilted leaves. etc.; vegetables discarded due
over-preparation; customers
to cooking mistakes, etc.
return behavior.

Instructions for use

❶ Please weigh or record the volume of kitchen waste ❹ Keep one digit after the decimal point, e.g. 7.8L
according to classification instructions. Where waste is
❺ Recommend archiving weighing pictures at the same time
measured by liters (L), please continue using liters;
to ensure data accuracy;

erate weekly reports and carbon footprints.

❷ Record only solid leftovers, excluding packages,
❻ Record the number of diners, which is the key to
liquids, etc.;
understanding and optimizing the cost of ingredients.
❸ Fill in 0 for zero waste options;
* This tool was developed by the Rare Center for Behavior
with the support of the EU Switch-Asia Program, and is
intended for corporate reference only and not as research,
commercial or legal advice.

Food waste reduction actions: The hotel provides small breakfast

02
buffet, and receives a few diners daily, about 20 from Monday to
Friday and 50 to 60 in the weekend. According to the number of diners
provided by the room department, the kitchen can better prepare
Measurement meals and control portions with minimum food waste. Therefore, the
person in charge of the kitchen thinks that Winnow data has limited
Classify and put food waste into corresponding trash cans -> Weigh and record the total
help. In terms of reducing waste food, the hotel can rework waste food
daily weight of the four types of food waste
relatively efficiently. For example, bacon can be chopped and used as

03
fillings, and milk can be reused for hot dishes.
© Kelvin Octa

Result Analysis Overproduction Weekly(KG)

The main categories and sources of food waste can be identified by analyzing data of nearly one month. Overpreparation (KG)
12 11
10.1
10
Food waste measurement and assessment is of great importance. The most direct method is weighing
food waste and analyzing food waste reduction trend or food waste composition. Data obtained by 8
weighing can also be used to evaluate the impact of food waste on greenhouse gas emissions, water
5.4 5.5 5.7
footprint, land application, etc., and analyze food cost and operating revenue [5]. 6
TIPS:
4 3 3
2.4
2
2 1.5 1.6 1.6

0
Waste Waste 0
Oct.1- Oct.7- Oct.14- Oct.21- Oct.28- Nov.4- Nov.11- Nov.18- Nov.25- Dec.2- Dec.9- Dec.16- Dec.23-
1 185 liters of 3 showers
1kg 13.17 kg 2 days
Oct.6 Oct.13 Oct.20 Oct.27 Nov.3 Nov.10 Nov.17 Nov.24 Dec.1 Dec.8 Dec.15 Dec.22 Dec.29

water Overpreparation (KG) Linear (overpreparation (KG))

8 9
 THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD
WASTE IN RESTAURANTS II PHASE PHASE II WASTE IN RESTAURANTS

2.2 Develop improvement measures, conduct reviews and

adjustments on a regular basis, and keep data records continuously

2 IMPLEMENTATION 2.1 Set reduction targets based on basic

data of restaurant food waste Food waste occurs in all aspects of organizational management, preparation of ingredi-

PHASE
ents, dining hall service, and food waste disposal. Reducing food waste requires the par-
Restaurants set food waste reduction targets through ticipation and contribution of every employee.
discussion with various departments, based on data
records and analysis results in the preparatory stage
while taking into account their actual situation. This guide gives action recommendation and guidance in eight
aspects of four modules to help enterprises achieve cost savings
and efficiency improvements for sustainable development.
Module 1 ©Pexels-Thuyen-Vu
Organizational
Management
Percentage reduction in food waste
Examples

Near-term Long-term
target target

1) Develop a cost saving plan 4) Enrich marketing and promotion

Set phased targets Promote the “Clean Your Plate”

campaign
Conduct routine data record <1>
and analysis Provide discounts and coupons
Administrative

5
to clean-plate customers
Adjust the strategy on a regu- management
%
10 %
lar basis Strengthen external coordination

20 %

50 %

2) Organize employee training

5) Establish an audit system
©
Understand the relationship be- qu 1
anj 05 Incorporate relevant indicators
tween food and nature
ing.c
o m qj 6 1 6 45 81
into the performance system
Raise the awareness of food
Give rewards to well-performing
waste reduction
employees or outlets
Boost the sense of responsibility
Within Within
By 2024 By 2030 Improve professional operation
three months six months
skills

3) Optimize operating standards

Build a digital management system to improve op-
erational efficiency
Strengthen the standardized operation and man-
SDG Target 12.3: By 2030, halve the per capita global food
Knowledge waste at the retail and consumer levels, and reduce food
agement of cutting and cooking processes

point: losses along production and supply chains, including

Apply higher requirements to ensure timely and ap-
propriate purchase and storage of ingredients
post-harvest losses.
Standardize the communication skills and mecha-
© Pexels-Dids nisms for waiters/waitress to reduce plate waste

01
10 11
 THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD
WASTE IN RESTAURANTS II PHASE PHASE II WASTE IN RESTAURANTS

<4> 1) Ensure sound conditions for food storage by

Storage and such means as ventilation, heat preservation,
2) Develop packages for family transport
1) Provide half portions, refrigeration, and freezing;
gatherings and business ban-
small portions or single
<2> quets, with suggested number
set of dishes;
of dinners;
Menu
design
2) Follow the principle of first-in, first-out,
first-use, and use as needed;

3) Maximize the use of vari- 4) Offer the special dish of

ous parts and trimmings of 3) Use airtight containers or vacuum pack-
the day according to the
ingredients through reason- aging to extend the shelf life of food;
remaining ingredients;
able matching;

4) Incorporate early warning into inventory

management, and conduct inventory in-
spection on a regular basis to prevent ex-
piration and spoilage;
5) Improve the cooking pro- 6) Indicate more environment-re-
cess for dishes with a lot of lated information on the recipe
leftovers, or remove them from (menu), such as calories, carbon
the menu; emissions and other data. 5) Substitute frozen, dried, bottled or canned foods for
some non-storable fresh ingredients without compro-
mising taste or quality;

Module 2 6) Reduce food loss during transport if catering companies have the trans-
Preparation of port capacity, through measures including heat preservation, refrigera-
tion, freezing, rain protection, and mosquito and fly prevention;
Ingredients

<3> 1) Supplier selection

Purchase Give priority to suppliers with the smallest food loss;
on demand
Have suppliers provide samples to ensure ingredients 1) Head chefs develop cooking and processing
meet requirements; specifications, which must reflect the require- <5>
Ensure purchase transparency and purchase alternatives;
ments of meticulous workmanship and reason- Processing
able use of trimmings; and cooking
Purchasers need to strengthen communication with head
chefs and warehouse personnel, and adjust purchase
plans as needed;

2) Chefs make dishes according to

2) Purchase standards preparation and cooking standards,
with priority given to safety and san-
Purchase fresh-cut vegetables and pre-made dishes itation, and use ingredients as
as appropriate to reduce the waste of trimmings needed to prevent unnecessary
during meal preparation; waste;
Make good use of ugly ingredients under the premise
of ensuring quality;
Encourage local purchase of ingredients that are not
easy to store, in order to reduce waste in transport; 3) Adopt advanced processes or tech-
nologies for handling or primary pro-
cessing of raw materials;
3) Efficient and precision purchase

Strengthen communication with suppliers to ensure on-time and

on-demand supply and delivery;
Practice accurate ordering by using the intelligent management
system to improve the accuracy of dish estimation; 4) Donate or share the surplus edible food to local charities, communities,
etc. on the premise of ensuring food safety.
Understand how suppliers handle withdrawn goods, and encourage
suppliers to reuse them under the premise of ensuring food safety.

12 13
 THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD
WASTE IN RESTAURANTS II PHASE PHASE II WASTE IN RESTAURANTS

2) Encourage customers to par- 3) Inform customers of the

Module 3 1) Set up food waste reduction Module 4
ticipate in relevant discounts and portion size, taste and other
Dining Hall signs, posters or table signs in
incentives related to the “Clean information of dishes when Kitchen Waste
prominent places;
Service Your Plate” campaign; customers order food; Disposal

4) Remind customers to order on demand, and recommend

<8>
dishes according to the number of dinners based on the dining
purpose (business banquets, family gatherings, etc.) ; Kitchen waste
disposal

5) Help customers with meal portioning, con- <6>

firm that customers have finished eating when Catering
cleaning dishes, and record the leftovers; service

1) Classify, weigh and moni- 2) Restaurants may also build

6) Proactively remind customers to pack the leftovers at the tor non-edible kitchen waste, their own food waste compost-
end of dining, provide packaging services, and inform them of establish waste disposal re- ing facilities where possible.
the second consumption time and method of the leftovers; cords, and transfer waste to
local kitchen waste recycling
department for centralized
treatment;

7) Carry out post-meal survey, actively inform consumers of the restaurant food
waste reduction campaign, collect their opinions on dishes and services through
questionnaires, message boards, etc., and conduct internal reviews.

1) Indicate the processing and production

time and expiration date on meal contain-
ers or packages, and remind consumers
to eat as soon as possible;

<7>
Takeaway
2) Recommend sealing liquid service 3) Recommend sealing
meals in food boxes with plas- solid meals by applying
tic wrap or buckle or by using seals and cable ties on
the plastic sealer; the outer packaging;

4) Recommend packing 5) Check the sealing

solids and liquids sepa- state, and repack if
rately for mixed meals; poor sealing due to
leaking package.

14 15
 2.Kitchen
Classified storage
2.1 Warehousing First in, first out
Preparation standards
and storage Regular stocktaking
1.3 Purchase Stock warning Coarse shred for stir-fry, 6mm
of ingredients Fine shred for braising, 2mm 2.2 Processing
Cube: diamond-shaped, 3mm
and cooking
Bad and Minimum loss Preparation according to
expired food cooking standards
Full use of materials
FOOD
Fish body: Fragrant fish fillets

1.Suppliers
SPOILAGE
Kitchen Fish skin: Shredded fish skin
trimmings Fish scales: Fried golden scales
Fish tail: Fish Offering Flowers
Discard of ingredients due to
KITCHEN ......
TRIMMINGS
properness before meal
preparation.
e.g. wilted leaves.

1.2 Central
Food loss during meal
preparation in restaurants.
e.g. trimmings such as

Restaurant Food
vegetable roots, leaves , skins,

kitchen
etc.; vegetables discarded due
to cooking mistakes, etc.

3.Dining hall
Waste Journey
Moderate order to avoid waste
Half portions of dishes available

Plate
waste

PLATE
WASTE

Costs Benefits
1.1 Food Leftovers on the table from
consumers, with oil and

market
water filtered out.

Food waste management and Reduced cost of ingredients

monitoring
Benefits from new menus
Employee training on new ways Improved efficiencies and
to handle and store ingredients greener operations 3.1 Service
Purchase list Design of new menus and consumption
Celery: 5kg
Lettuce: 4kg
Join the “Clean Your Plate” Campaign “Clean Your Plate” Pack leftovers for free
Meat: 10kg
Fruits are provided as a reward Campaign Says No to Waste What do you need to pack?
......

Purchase does not meet

the chef's requirement 5
Common food waste Dining hall
and loss behaviors Kitchen
Over-purchase 12
in restaurants
Off-cuts or trimmings 13 Kitchen waste disposal
Best enjoyed upon
Prepared but unsold 15 delivery Takeout
Unsold
Failure to remind prepared food
customers to take leftovers
18

No reminder of Sort Drain UNSOLD

over-ordering
18 PREPARED
FOOD

Cooking mistakes 32
Customers
Discard of dishes that have
been prepared and met

35
serving requirements, but not

returning dishes sold due to various reasons.

Weigh Record
e.g. surplus caused by meal
over-preparation; customers
return behavior.

0 10 20 30 40
17 18
 THREE STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD SUMMARY AND
WASTE IN RESTAURANTS III OUTREACH

Annex
3 SUMMARY AND 1. Food Waste Monitoring Checklist
OUTREACH
14-day Food Waste Weighing Checklist

* Unit:KG/L
© Pexels-Henry-&-Co
Please tick in the box : kg/ L
Start date: YY MM DD

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

FOOD KITCHEN
SPOILAGE TRIMMINGS

UNSOLD PLATE
PREPARED WASTE
FOOD

3.1
Summarize project results
and develop specification manual
and internal audit mechanism
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Develop the Operational Manual for Food Waste
Reduction (For Trial Implementation) that incor-
porates the best action plan after three to six
months of improvement, and establish an inter-
nal regular review mechanism.

FOOD KITCHEN UNSOLD PLATE

SPOILAGE TRIMMINGS PREPARED WASTE
FOOD
3.2
Promote and share this
successful case Food loss during meal
Discard of dishes that have

with branches or in the sector

been prepared and met
Discard of ingredients due to preparation in restaurants.
serving requirements, but not Leftovers on the table from
properness before meal e.g. trimmings such as
sold due to various reasons. consumers, with oil and
preparation. vegetable roots, leaves , skins,
e.g. surplus caused by meal water filtered out.
e.g. wilted leaves. etc.; vegetables discarded due
Catering enterprises running food waste reduc- to cooking mistakes, etc.
over-preparation; customers
return behavior.

tion pilots in “Pride on our Plates” projectwill

have the opportunity to see their practice re-
flected in the pilot project report, and use the
Instructions for use
project platform to conduct industry exchanges
and share cases at home and abroad. ❶ Please weigh or record the volume of kitchen waste ❹ Keep one digit after the decimal point, e.g. 7.8L
according to classification instructions. Where waste
❺ Recommend archiving weighing pictures at the same time
is measured by liters (L), please continue using liters;
to ensure data accuracy;
❷ Record only solid leftovers, excluding packages,
❻ Record the number of diners, which is the key to under-
liquids, etc.;
standing and optimizing the cost of ingredients.
❸ Fill in 0 for zero waste options;
* This tool was developed by the Rare Center for Behavior
with the support of the EU Switch-Asia Program, and is
intended for corporate reference only and not as
research, commercial or legal advice.

16 19
 2. Service Expressions Reference During the meal:

Hello, you are recommended to take the food in small quantities,

multiple times, and on demand to keep the taste without waste.
Before the meal:

Hello, we have small portions/half portions of dishes, as well as platters for your choice, so that you can Hello, this dish is a bit cold. Can I help you heat it up?
taste more dishes without waste.

Hello, we have economical and affordable single, double, or triple set menu for your choice. Hello, can I help you separate the dishes for your convenience.

Hello, you may try the 'N-1' ordering mode, that is to order dishes according to the 'minus one' number of diners,
and add more at any time if they are not enough. This will reduce waste.

After the meal:

Hello, the menu shows the portion size of ingredients and recommended
number of diners for your reference. Hello, the base materials of this dish can be made into chili sauce
for you for free, please wait a moment.

Hello, we have incentives for customers who clean their plates, in order to save food and
reduce waste. Here are the specific rewards (reward points/parking discounts/fruit plates). Hello, we provide packing service for free. Do you need to pack the leftovers? (After
packing, hand it to the customer with both hands, and inform the customer of the ex-
piration date and consumption method or notification label.) Wish you a happy meal!

20 21
 3. Gamified Training Tools 4. Storage and Management of Ingredients
In order to raise employees ' awareness of and attention to food loss and waste, and turn In actual operation, catering enterprises can store ingredients
awareness into attitude and motivation, employee training is necessary on top of food waste by category, and divide storage areas according to the optimal
reduction working group. Gamified training tools create a relaxed atmosphere to stimulate storage temperature of ingredients. The two methods can be
employee enthusiasm and initiative and facilitate employee understanding of business principles combined to achieve more refined classification and storage of
by turning employees into players. This helps small and medium-sized catering enterprises reduce ingredients.
food waste and food cost, optimize operating processes, and enhance team loyalty and staff pride.

Rare Center for Behavior, one of the implementing agency of the © Shutterstock

"Pride on our Plates" project, has developed a series of gamified

training toolkits for catering enterprises, including recommended
games with varying difficulty levels such as "Cookery Werewolves"
and "Who Is Undercover in the Restaurant". These games create a

Game Example: scenario that allows employees to comprehend and digest knowledge
and cultivate the problem-solving capability. By applying what they
Cookery Werewolves have learned, employees can transform knowledge into performance. 1) Store by category in different areas
Catering enterprises can find details and download materials of the
Fresh food is stored by category, which should follow the
"Pride on our Plates" gamefied training toolkits on the WeChat official
principle of centralized storage of same categories and
account of the Rare Center for Behavior.
differentiated storage of different categories.

Game background For example, the warehouse can be divided into zones for
vegetables, meat, grain and oil, etc. The vegetable zone can
be further divided to store melons, fruits, roots, etc. Zoning
The God of Cookery Tournament brought together all kinds of cooks with unique skills. After rounds of competition,
for storing commodities can be designed according to the
the strongest cooks came out and jointly established a restaurant featuring the God of Cookery. One day, very
warehouse layout.
destructive, well disguised werewolves blended into the cook clan, and secretly murdered the cooks. The various
characters of the cook clan need to unite to defend the restaurant and drive away the werewolves.
2) Store according to preservation requirements

Necessary materials Intended gamers Game time Temperature

According to the temperature requirements for keeping food fresh, the warehouse can be
Game cards and game instructions * 5 to 11 employees of catering enterprises 10 to 20 minutes divided into freezer space, chill space and room temperature space. The frozen area (below
-18°C) is used for meat and seafood storage; the chill space(0-4°C) is used for keeping fruits
and vegetables fresh; and the room temperature space (15-18°C) is used to ensure the quality
of grains, oil, rice, noodles and other commodities.
Exemplary game cards
Meat

Shopping spree Chef in charge Competent

preparation personnel
Sky eye
inventory manager Order butler
*Please download the electron- It is not appropriate to pile meat up or place it close to
ic version of the game from the the wall, and it is strictly forbidden to place meat on the
WeChat official account of ground, in order to avoid affecting meat quality. It can be
"Rare Center for Behavior " refrigerated if it is all used the same day. If not, it is
necessary to divide the meat according to cooking
You have two potions, including the antidote On the first night, two players can be designated

needs and pack into food-storage bags for freezing.

You can push any player out of the game when You can protect any player from being murdered You can check which team the player is from at
which can save a player murdered by a werewolf, as lovers (you can designate yourself as one of the
being smeared by a werewolf or cast out. But you by a werewolf at night, but you cannot protect night. It is a priesthood role and underpins the
and the poison which can kill any player. But one lovers). If one dies, the other must also die for
cannot do so if you are a chef poisoned to death. the same player for two consecutive nights. logic of the game.
of them must be used at night. love.

Before cooking, it should be thawed slowly in the

Mysterious werewolf Gourmet
Inventory I can
refrigerator in advance.
management tips

1. Classify shelves according to shelf life

2. Optimize storage methods

3. Maintain appropriate temperature

4. First in, first out

Dried seafood products

5. Conduct review on a regular basis

You can slink into the restaurant to generate food Civilian

Dried seafood products, such as dried fish, dried small shrimp, etc. should be refrigerated in
waste. When you close your eyes, you can smear
a player and cast him/her out of the game.

sealed bags.

22 23
 Survey on food loss and waste
Cooked foods andpastries

Cooked staple foods such as steamed buns, sesame cakes

5. reduction behaviors in catering enterprises
and bread can be refrigerated, and those that have been
refrigerated for more than two days should be packaged and
sealed for storage in the freezer. In 2021, the Rare Center for Behavior conducted an in-depth research on
food loss and waste of catering enterprises through 35 in-depth interviews
and focus interviews and 136 questionnaires on 11 common key positions in
catering enterprises. The research found that in actual operation, employees
Vegetables and fruits of catering enterprises encounter the following obstacles:

Vegetables and fruits are wearable, spoilable and perishable, and need to be handled with
care. Leafy vegetables should be wrapped in soft paper and put in food-storage bags for
refrigeration. It is better to cover them with damp cloth to maintain moisture and freshness
during summer higher temperatures. Root vegetables should be wrapped in soft paper and
put in food-storage bags. Citrus fruits and tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes should Catering business Catering Catering Catering service
not be refrigerated, and should be stored in a cool place indoors. Strawberries, blueberries,
proprietors managers staff personnel
grapes and other berries should be refrigerated. Check is necessary during the storage Catering business proprietors Catering managers hope very Catering staff lack motivation to Catering service personnel
process, so as to timely pick out moldy and rotten ones to avoid more contamination. do not know how to further much to reduce food loss, but reduce food loss and waste as believe that food waste is
reduce cost as their fail to do so under great food loss and waste are not the mainly caused by plate waste
companies have implemented pressure during the peak main indicators of daily as sometimes reminder is
tight cost control meal period management ineffective for customers

Rice, flour, and coarse food grains

Rice, flour, and coarse food grains are highly hygroscopic, likely
to go mouldy, and prone to insects and rodents, so they should
be stored in a clean, dry and insect-free place. The research also found that food loss and waste behaviors vary among
positions, and management and employees in different positions play different
roles in reducing food loss and waste.

Frozen and refrigerated ingredients

Raw and cooked foods, and meat and vegetables should be stored separately. They should
also be packaged separately to avoid cross-contamination. Ingredients should be kept away 1. In food loss and waste reduction of micro,
from the inner walls of refrigerators. Refrigerated leftovers should be free from spoilage and small, medium-sized catering enterprises,
thoroughly reheated before eating. Ready-to-eat foods should be properly stored and used
employees in different positions all play an
as soon as possible once opened.
important role, among which the important
positions include:

3) Place largely ordered foodstuffs close to the aisle

High-daily-demand ingredients can be stored near the aisle,

so that they can be loaded and distributed quickly and
processed nearby, reducing the frequency of movement and TOP
the workload of employees. 2
TOP
4
TOP
Notes TOP 5
TOP
1 3
Leave a small passage between the main channel and
the stored goods to facilitate picking-up and sorting;

Do not place ingredients that are not resistant to wind at

the air outlet;

Avoid sunlight and rainfall where ingredients are stored.

Chef / Purchaser Manager / Washing Cutting
Cook Boss personnel personnel

24 25
 2. Employees in different positions within the
same catering enterprise perceive restaurant
food waste to different degrees: Reference
60% of primary-level employees think that their restaurant has less
food waste than other restaurants
Up to 87% of management believe that their restaurant has less food
waste than other restaurants
Those upholding that their restaurant waste more than other restau-
rants are all from the primary level

Management of catering enterprises judge restaurant food loss and waste

mainly by operating process inspection and restaurant revenue data. This
hinders them from access to more specific information about food loss and
waste observed by primary-level employees in their daily work.
[1] FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2021. The State of Food Security
and Nutrition in the World 2021. Transforming food systems for food
security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all. Rome,
FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4474en
3. Food loss behaviors considered important by
employees of catering enterprises rank as follows: [2] National Bureau of Statistics

[3] Report on Food Waste in China' Urban Restaurants. 2018

©Pexels-Madison-Inouye
Purchase below the chef
requirements 5 [4] The Food Wastage Footprint
Over-purchase 12
[5] The Business Case for Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Restaurants
Large trimmings 13
Prepared but unsold 15
No reminder of packing
18
after meal
No reminder of over-ordering 18

Cooking mistakes 32
Customers return behavior 35

0 10 20 30 40

It is worth noting that employees are rarely rewarded and praised for
reducing food loss and waste. However, behavioral research has revealed
that praise and encouragement are more effective in motivating employees
4. In the opinions of catering practi-
to reduce food waste than punishments or fines. It is recommended that tioners, the benefits of reducing
catering companies develop effective employee stimulation approaches food loss and waste include:
and measures according to their own actual conditions.

Reduce the operating

cost of the restaurant 78.68%
Demonstrate the social
responsibility of the restaurant 77.94%
Reduce the cost of food
72.06%
waste disposal
Contribute to low carbon and 69.12%
environmental protection
Reflect my professionalism 66.18%
Respond to the call and follow
the social trend 47.79%
Gain a stronger sense of
fulfillment 43.38%
Lighten my workload 32.35%

Win praise or reward 17.65%

Unclear 5.15%

Other 2.21%

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

26 27
 Safeguard Civilization on Our Plates

© Pexels-Katerina-Holmes

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