Short mission

Tips for Reducing Food Waste

 

Organisation

ÅhusGården was established to provide a meeting place for children and young people. Located by the sea and surrounded by the beautiful Kronoskogen forest, ÅhusGården offers an ideal setting for both outdoor activities and relaxation in nature. Founded in the mid-1900s, the facility has gradually expanded to include accommodations, dining, conference spaces, and areas for activities. Today, ÅhusGården consists of a main building (with a reception, common room, offices, kitchen, and dining hall), three accommodation buildings, five small cabins, two detached houses, and five parking spaces for RVs and caravans.

The majority of ÅhusGården’s guests are larger groups, including children, teenagers, and senior citizens. The site frequently hosts sports teams, confirmation camps, gatherings for interest organizations, and meetings for local senior associations. While ÅhusGården is often fully booked during the summer, there are also activities throughout the year, both in weekends and weekdays in the off-season.

ÅhusGården is run as a non-profit association, founded by the EFS Missionary Society, which maintains a close collaboration with the Church of Sweden.

Task overview

The kitchen staff at ÅhusGården are continuously working to minimize food waste and maximize the use of all food produced. They have implemented several measures to reduce waste, such as replacing the old food waste bin in the dining area - where guests used to discard uneaten food directly into a brown bag - with a transparent bin. This simple change has resulted in a noticeable reduction in food waste, as guests seem less inclined to throw away food when it is clearly visible. During their annual Christmas buffet, served in November and December, they have transitioned from a buffet-style setup to serving cold dishes on individual plates. This approach has made it easier for the kitchen staff to better plan food quantities, ensuring that guests take only what they can eat. Any leftover food that is not plated or served is donated to those in need through the Church of Sweden.

Despite these ongoing efforts, ÅhusGården still generates enough food waste to fill their food waste bin, which is emptied biweekly. They are now looking for additional strategies to further reduce food waste and explore new ways to utilize the food that inevitably becomes waste.

The goal of this assignment is to explore how ÅhusGården, with such variable food demand and diverse meal offerings, can manage food waste more effectively. The task is to provide ÅhusGården with actionable recommendations to further reduce food waste and identify creative ways to repurpose or utilize the food waste they still generate.

Related Sustainability Goals

Company ÅhusGården
Requirements You study at university and have interest and creativity in food.
Scope Small mission. A shorter project for 1-2 students where you put 10-20 h per person into the project. The time is allocated over approximately one months time.
Location Åhus, Kristianstad
Contact

Helena Ensegård
helena@sustainalink.se
0706-353925

Additional information

The company covers expenses for public transport in Skåne within this project.