WASTELESS project

The WASTELESS (Waste Quantification Solutions To Limit Environmental Stress) project will develop and test a mix of innovative tools and methodologies for Food Loss and Waste (FLW) measurement and monitoring. A bottom-up approach will be followed: starting from defining an harmonised methodological framework and set of standards for the testing activities, the evaluation of the tools implementation and the quality and integrability of the data produced in other frameworks and finally recommend sustainable policies and business strategies to set the ground for a harmonised Framework at EU level. Additionally to the measurement and monitoring tools, WASTELESS will carry research activities on innovative processes and streams to valorise unavoidable FLW. With the ambition to make existing FLW quantification solutions and WASTELESS ones usable by all food actors, it will be developed a Decision Support Toolbox for any stakeholders to access to the most appropriate methodology, digital tools and solutions for FLW valorisation all that aggregated with the Environmental and Socio-Economic impact associated to the implementation of the solutions. This will enable the replication of data collection hubs accross Europe feeding the model developed by JRC with robust, reliable and comparable FLW data.
For more information please visit the official website of the project: https://wastelesseu.com/

Project partners

Objectives

  • Develop and test a mix of innovative tools and methodologies for Food Loss and Waste (FLW) measurement and monitoring, generating robust FLW data on critical and poorly understood Food Supply Chains (FSC),

  • Recommend a harmonised methodological Framework for FLW quantification,

  • Develop a decision support systemic Toolbox targeting all food value chain stakeholders enabling the duplication of WASTELESS collection points across EU territories and different food commodities.

Project duration: 3 years, starting date: 1 January 2023.

Project Coordinator: Universidade De Tras-Os-Montes E Alto Douro (UTAD)

Participants: 17 organizations from 12 countries

Total budget: 5 458 233 EUR

Target groups: food service stakeholders, food idustries, retail, households, selected supply chains

Expected results of the project:

  • Providing a baseline framework for the implementation of measuring and monitoring.

  • Gathering the activities of R&D for the WASTELESS set of digital solutions and methodologies for FLW measurement and monitoring at specific stages of the FSC.

  • Testing the solutions developed in complementary operational environments of the food system.

  • Making datasets generated by WASTELESS as open as possible and, in that endeavour, to ensure that these data are FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, andreusable).

  • Developing and demonstrating FLW reduction actions based on the FW hotspots identified through previous research.

  • Developing solutions to fully utilise food losses and industrial wastes measured throughout the project, generating value from residues and waste streams that would otherwise be lost.

  • Creating a technological, open access platform for stakeholders to measure and monitor FLW.

  • Expanding project impact through engagement and exchange with actors and user communities including consumers and civil society, and private and public actors, in FLW measurement and reduction actions.