Understanding food waste generation in school canteens

Reducing food waste across food supply chains is crucial for achieving global environmental goals, but the impact of organizational strategy and social factors on food waste in public catering is not well understood. This study aimed to quantify and explain the drivers of food waste in Swedish school canteens by analyzing data at three levels: the organizational, the school, and the individual level. The analysis combined national survey data (n = 111 municipalities), school-level quantification data (n = 693 schools), and 1722 individual on-site observations. The results show that municipalities with a higher share of guests eating in production kitchens had lower food waste (Spearman’s ρ = −0.23) while having an explicit food waste reduction goal did not affect food waste levels (45 vs 47 g per guest). At the school level, student age was moderately correlated with plate waste (Kendall’s τ = 0.34), with older students wasting about twice as much food as younger ones (36 vs 18 g per guest). At the individual level, extroverted students and those in group settings generated more waste (on average 67 g per waster). The findings point to complementary roles of organizational factors and guest behaviour in shaping food waste generation, highlighting the potential of interventions that address both.