Food waste is not just a moral issue, but a serious climate issue. Every piece of trashed food represents wasted energy, water, land, and labor. When that food decomposes (especially in landfills) it emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Reducing food waste is one of the most effective ways restaurants, caterers, and households can lower their CO₂e emissions, save money, and contribute to a sustainable food system.
In this post, we explore why food waste matters, where it happens, how it links to your carbon footprint, and what strategies help.
Every year, around 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost or wasted globally—roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption. Food wasted along supply chains, at retail, in food service, and by consumers contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. In fact:
• Food production accounts for around 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Food waste is responsible for about 6% of total global greenhouse gas emissions—because producing, transporting, storing, and disposing of food that is never eaten wastes resources and emits GHG emissions in the atmosphere.
Methane produced by decomposing food in landfills is a particularly potent problem, since over short to medium timescales it traps far more heat than CO₂.
Some of the most common patterns we see:
• Over-production: preparing more than will be sold, especially with buffets, events, or “peak” hours.
• Large portions: customers can’t finish their plates, leading to plate waste.
• Poor forecasting and menu planning: dishes or ingredients that are rarely ordered accumulate.
Storage, handling, and spoilage issues: lack of refrigeration, improper storage, or delayed use.
In Sweden, for example, households waste on average 106 kg of food per person each year. The Swedish National Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) has produced a detailed handbook for measuring and reducing food waste, illustrating that knowing where waste occurs (kitchen, plate, storage) is crucial to targeting actions.
Reducing food waste is one of the strongest levers for lowering a food business’s Scope 3 emissions.
• The resources used to produce food—land, fertilizer, transport, energy—are wasted when the food doesn’t get eaten.
• Disposed food, especially in landfills, generates methane. Even when disposal doesn’t generate methane (e.g. composting, anaerobic digestion), there is a carbon cost in waste handling.
• At Klimato, our nutrition-/ingredient-/recipe-level carbon data helps you see which foods are most carbon-intensive. Reducing the usage, over-preparation or waste of those items delivers double impact: fewer costs + lower CO₂e.
Although Klimato currently does not offer specific tracking modules for measuring food waste (e.g. weighing plate waste or kitchen bins), many features in our app support waste reduction indirectly:
• Ingredient-level carbon impact: shows which ingredients carry high emissions so that you can use them more judiciously.
• Recipe optimization & portion sizing: helps avoid overproduction of high-carbon dishes.
• Scope 3 reporting: by bringing in upstream and downstream emissions, it becomes clear that waste (both produced and avoided) is a material contributor.
Use Klimato’s carbon footprint calculator to spot high-impact ingredients and design smarter recipes that minimize both waste and emissions.
Here are effective, practical strategies that many kitchens and food services can deploy:
1. Measure first: Use waste logs, surveys, or simple weighing to find out where and how much waste you have (e.g. kitchen prep, plate waste, unsold food).
2. Set targets: For instance, reduce kitchen/plate waste by X% in a year; reduce overproduction; reduce spoilage.
3. Improve forecasting & ordering: Use historical sales data; order smaller, more frequent shipments to reduce spoilage; plan menus around seasonal ingredients to avoid freshness issues.
4. Portion control & design: Review portion sizes; offer smaller options; allow customers to mix dishes. Smart planning is key, explore Klimato’s sustainable menu design tools to integrate climate data and waste reduction directly into your menus.
5. Staff training & awareness: Make sure kitchen and serving staff understand the carbon and cost impacts of waste; have regular feedback loops.
6. Storage, handling, and food safety: Good refrigeration, FIFO (“first in, first out”) stock rotation, properly sealed storage to avoid spoilage or food reaching unsafe conditions.
7. Repurpose or redistribute: Where possible, use imperfect produce, leftovers, or near-expiry items in specials; partner with charities or food banks; compost or send waste to anaerobic digestion if food must be discarded.
• The Swedish public catering sector has published work showing that systematic measurement and improvements (in ordering, storage, menu planning) can significantly reduce waste and costs.
• Research also shows economic savings are often large: reducing waste translates directly to lowered purchasing costs, lower disposal fees, and lower hidden costs (staff time, spoilage).
Reducing food waste delivers multiple wins:
• Cuts carbon emissions (both upstream and downstream)
• Saves money on food cost and waste handling
• Improves operational efficiency
• Strengthens your brand and reputation with customers who care about sustainability
At Klimato, our tools help you see the carbon cost of ingredients, design better recipes, and understand Scope 3 emissions—all of which support food waste reduction.
What is the biggest contributor to food waste in food service?
Often, over-production and large portion sizes, followed by spoilage and plate waste.
How fast can you see improvements?
With measurement, staff engagement, and small process changes (portions, ordering, storage), many kitchens see meaningful reductions in 3-6 months.
How to measure food waste without special equipment?
Use simple waste logs, count plates returned, approximate weights, and estimate costs. Over time refine your estimates as you collect data.
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