Management of food waste in restaurants by way of circular practices

Food waste is a serious problem worldwide. There is a lot of waste in the food sector, while we still have a significant percentage of people who do not have enough to have a food that can cure their hunger. These asymmetries generate many controversies around the world. This study aimed to map the amount of food waste generated in restaurants located in a medium-size city in the south of Brazil as soon as generate alternatives to increase the circularity of wasted food. A survey was carried out based on the database of companies registered in the city hall files, where 177 valid responses were obtained. The results show that the largest wasted volumes generated in the three stages of food production analyzed in this research are vegetables, carbohydrates, meat and bones. However, this order is reversed when we consider the loss of revenue caused by waste: meat and bones, followed by vegetables and carbohydrates. Considering a total of 177 establishments surveyed, there is an average waste of 339 kg/month (or 13 kg/day) per restaurant, with loss of revenue of R$ 2577.85/month/establishment. These results are significant indicators that justify investments to reduce these losses and also to identify new ways to take advantage of the surplus materials, so that they can generate a second use for some other productive segment or chain. The study contributes to this discussion by presenting ways to increase the circularity of wasted food. It represents an important contribution to rethink food waste and make it an alternative for efficient and optimized use.