But how do you start that discussion? What data do you go off if you’ve never been tracking food waste up until this point? What is that crucial first step?
Here at Positive Carbon, we’ve developed a tool to give you that first bit of data that will help to jump start that all-important conversation around food waste.
Introducing the Food Waste Calculator: a free and simple tool that can calculate approximately how much money you’re wasting on food waste per year. By answering just three questions, you can find out how much money you’ve lost to food waste which can be used for a variety of benefits, including:
1. Raising Awareness
By calculating the cost of food waste, a calculator provides a tangible figure that quantifies the financial impact of this issue. This visibility raises awareness among individuals, businesses, and communities, enabling them to fully grasp the scale of the problem. Recognizing the actual monetary value wasted on food can be a powerful motivator for change.
2. Operational Efficiency
Understanding the cost of food waste can drive operational efficiency. By revealing inefficiencies in inventory management, purchasing, and production, businesses can streamline their processes and reduce waste. This can result in improved resource allocation, reduced storage requirements, and enhanced overall operational performance.
3. Reduced Environmental Impact
In addition to financial benefits, calculating food waste costs brings attention to the environmental impact of wasteful practices. Wasted food translates to wasted resources, such as water, energy, and land used in production and distribution. By visualizing the ecological toll, individuals and businesses are motivated to take actions that minimize waste, conserve resources, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Food waste is an invisible problem in more ways than one. Yes, it’s an invisible cost, but it’s also a problem that we don’t like to admit we have.
Yet, we all share this problem. Food Waste is complex as it occurs at different stages and across multiple teams, coming from prep, unserved food and plate waste. This, understandably, makes it very difficult to track and reduce.
With our Food Waste Calculator we want to help you with that first step towards a zero waste kitchen and it all starts with visibility.
