Vast quantities of food waste are generated at universities around the world, at cafeterias and residences, resulting in significant environmental and economic costs. There is little consensus however as to the best food waste treatment practices, or the extent of behavioural change opportunities regarding greenhouse gas and cost savings, or how university and country specific factors influence food waste management optimisation. This thesis aimed to address this through studying food waste management optimisation in UK, Indian and Chinese universities.
When studying behavioural change opportunities, this research found introducing table cards, posters and signs led to a per capita food waste reduction of 13% in a UK University canteen, meanwhile the same interventions alongside Covid-19 impacts led to a per capita food waste reduction of 50% in an Indian University canteen. Additionally, food waste recycling interventions led to food waste recycling increases of around 70%. Food waste recycling was not researched at the Indian and Chinese Universities however, as these universities only had catered students.
Scenarios were formed for food waste reduction, food waste recycling as well as various onsite food waste treatment approaches, with their greenhouse gas and economic impacts being assessed when compared to the current business as usual approach being applied at the studied Universities. Food waste reduction brought about significant greenhouse gas mitigation in all universities. Moreover, desiccation with combustion and heat generation was the most cost effective option in the UK, with desiccation and animal feed production the best option for greenhouse gas mitigation. Conversely, due to more carbon intensive grid energy, the net energy generating scenarios, in particular anaerobic digestion had the greatest levels of greenhouse gas mitigation in the Indian and Chinese Universities. Overall, all universities that had their food waste collected and treated offsite by an external company, could adopt scenarios that would have both greenhouse gas and economic savings.
This analysis, alongside surveys and interviews conducted on university food waste management stakeholders, were used to form a framework for creating a multi-criteria food waste management decision-making tool with essential data inputs as well as desired data outputs and formats identified. Further research and the creation of the tool could lead to enormous greenhouse gas and cost savings in universities across the UK, India and China.
