Anti-waste App

ULiège's university cafeterias and restaurants are aiming to reduce food waste by 50% by the end of 2030. Among the measures taken: a new app used in the kitchen and dining room to quantify and intensify waste reduction efforts.

Food production accounts for 22% to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 9% due to food waste alone. On average in Belgium, per person per year, 345 kg of food products end up in the bin*.

The University of Liège's cafeterias and restaurants pay particular attention to recycling and reducing waste. A number of initiatives have already been taken: 90% of disposable crockery has been eliminated (a further 5% increase is targeted for 2023), and reusable mugs and cutlery are sold at reduced prices, with savings of €0.10 and €0.20 respectively, when they replace their disposable equivalents. Waste sorting tables have also been installed in the dining halls, while the cooks are also taking care to recycle their waste.

The application

Since January 2023, a new application has been used by kitchen staff. With just a few clicks, this application enables them to encode the weight and type of waste produced: expired ingredients, peelings, overproduction, leftovers .... Waste in the dining room is also weighed on a daily basis. On this basis, monthly reports will be produced. These will enable us to quantify and intensify our efforts to reduce waste.

And we're not stopping there: new measures are planned for the short and medium term, to limit waste in our restaurants.

Would you like to get involved in the fight against food waste?

If you're a little hungry, you may be able to get smaller plates, so don't hesitate to ask for smaller quantities when you order. And don't forget that you can take your leftovers with you if you have a container.

Another possibility for concrete action: take part in the Green Office challenges! For 3 weeks (the time it takes to implement a new habit), pay special attention to your meals. Give a second life to leftovers, ugly fruit and wilted vegetables.

Discover Green Office's food tips and challenges