Zero food waste education of "Z" generation of European citizens

The project partners applied for this project to tackle the important issue of waste management, because according to the latest Eurostat data, the EU produces around 2.2 billion tonnes of waste every year. This means that 224.8 million tonnes of municipal waste is generated, which corresponds to an average of 513 kg per person per year. Each year, the EU produces around 86 million tonnes of biowaste, a significant proportion of which is food waste. It is estimated that around 59 million tonnes of food is wasted in the EU each year, which is around 127 kg per person per year, to which young people make a significant contribution. The EU has made separate waste collection one of its key objectives for the coming period, emphasising that effective waste management is priority. The EU is actively working to reduce waste, especially food waste, through various initiatives and strategies. Therefore, the project aims to address the challenges related to food systems, which play a crucial role in economic growth and sustainability in the EU. By focussing on the entire food production cycle, from processing to consumption and recycling of food waste, the project is in line with the EU's objectives to promote environmental sustainability.

The main objective of the ZeeWaste4EU project is to provide a specific age group between 18 and 24 years old, the so-called Generation Z, with additional knowledge and skills on an innovative approach to waste management focussing on food waste (FW). A further aim was to increase young people's understanding and awareness of their responsibilities in relation to FW management and the use of natural resources. To achieve this, it is necessary to strengthen young people's sense of responsibility and enable them to develop and implement effective FW prevention on a personal level and within their families and friends. Furthermore, through the project we aim to reshape Generation Z's relationship with food resources so that they adopt smarter lifestyles, sustainable consumption patterns and place more emphasis on the prevention of FW. To prepare young people to think critically about FW, the project developed benchmarks on FW in each partner country (PR 1), a data analysis on FW among young people (PR 2), educational materials on FW tailored to young people (PR 3), a self-assessment of FW prevention skills in digital form (PR 4) and the development and maintenance of the online education hub (PR 5) responsible for FW management.

The following results were achieved: (1) Benchmarking of food waste management, (2) data collection and analysis of food waste generation and behaviour of young people, (3) development of an e-learning toolkit, (4) self-assessment of trainees to improve food waste prevention skills and (5) a food waste e-learning platform. The concrete outputs and results of the project include several key deliverables aimed at addressing food waste generation and prevention. (1) Benchmarking: The purpose of benchmarking in the first phase of the project was to create a clear understanding of the current state of food waste production and management practises in the participating countries. Benchmarking enabled the project partners to assess the existing food waste management systems and practises in their countries. By comparing these practises, the project was able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches to preventing and minimising food waste. In addition, the benchmarking process encouraged knowledge exchange between the project partners and enabled us to exchange best practises and innovative solutions for food waste management. This collaborative approach improved the overall effectiveness of the project and contributed to the development of a trans-European network focussed on food waste prevention. Benchmarking served as a fundamental step in the project, allowing partners to assess the current situation, identify gaps and develop sound strategies for effective food waste management and education. In the end, all the data and results of this benchmarking were included in the handbook jointly produced by the project partners entitled “Food waste generation and prevention: Benchmarking the National Situation”. This handbook was printed and served as promotional and educational material for this project and is available on Erasmus+ project results platform. (2) Data collection and analysis: The project used both qualitative and quantitative methods, including diaries and images of food waste, surveys, in-depth interviews and questionnaires, to collect data on the generation of food waste among young people. This comprehensive data collection provided a solid foundation for understanding the specific challenges and needs of young people in each country. The most important part of the project from a scientific perspective was the collection of data on the generation of food waste among young people. This was done by using a self-assessment method where participants tracked their food waste over a period of time and recorded the type and amount of food discarded. Namely, participants were asked to keep a food waste diary for one week in which they recorded the types and quantities of food thrown away. A standardised definition of a portion was provided to ensure consistency in the data. As the participants took images before and after the meal, one of the activities was to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to accurately recognise different foods from the participants' images. It aims to assess food waste by comparing images of plates before and after meals to quantify the percentage of waste and integrates advanced machine learning techniques with practical applications in food recognition and waste management. This data of collected images was then compiled for analysis and the results were later published in a scientific journal dealing with waste management (Lubura, J.; Pezo, L.; Sandu, M.A.; Voronova, V.; Donsi, F.; Šic Žlabur, J.; Ribić, B.; Peter, A.; Šurić, J.; Brandić, I.; Kloga, M.; Ostojić, S.; Pataro, G.; Virsta, A.; Oros, A.E.; Micić, D.; Đurović, S.; De Feo, G.; Procentese, A.; Voća, N. (2022): Food Recognition and Food Waste Estimation Using Convolutional Neural Network; Electronics, 11; Article number 3746; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11223746). In addition, the partners have developed a unique questionnaire to assess young people's attitudes and behaviour towards food waste, including self-reported data on food waste generation. The questionnaire was distributed to young people in each partner country to assess their food consumption habits, their awareness of the issue of food waste and their personal experiences of food waste. As a final addition to the data, a paper was submitted to the journal Waste Management (IF 7,9). (Voća, N.; Donsi, F.; Sandu, M.A.; Voronova, V.; Šic Žlabur, J.; De Feo, G.; Virsta, A.; Klõga, M.; Lubura, J.; Peter, A.; Scăețeanu, G.V.; Ostojić, S.; Brandić, I.; Pataro, G.; Balaban, D.; Micić, D.; Šurić, J.; Đurović, S.; Procentese, A.; Pezo, L. An Analysis of Food Waste Production and Behavioural Patterns Among Generation Z in Five European Countries). The paper investigates the food waste behaviour of Generation Z in five European countries (Estonia, Italy, Romania, Croatia and Serbia) by analysing food waste diaries and newly developed image recognition techniques. The research aims to understand the types of food most commonly wasted by young people, assess the impact of daily behaviour on waste generation and identify areas for behaviour change. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model, the study examines the factors that influence the extent of food waste in participants aged 18-24 years. The results show that there are differences in the generation of food waste between the different nationalities analysed. The study also examines constructs such as food waste knowledge, attitudes, financial concerns and health risks associated with food waste behaviour. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to assess the consistency of the study expressions with the constructs and to ensure measurement accuracy. The results highlight the complex interplay of sociological, psychological and economic factors that influence food waste behaviour. Recommendations include targeted interventions and policies to close knowledge gaps around waste and promote sustainable food handling practises among young people. By understanding these factors, effective strategies can be developed to reduce food waste and lessen the financial burden on the younger generation. (3) Development of educational materials: As part of the project, the partners developed educational materials, including handbooks, interactive PowerPoint presentations, video materials and infographics that emphasise the importance of reducing food waste and provide tips on how to avoid waste in everyday life. These packages were tailored to the interests and needs of young people, with the aim of raising awareness and providing practical guidance on how to reduce food waste. In addition, the partners designed and implemented a training course focussing on food waste prevention and tailored to the needs of young people to equip them with knowledge and skills to prevent food waste. To achieve these outcomes, the authors designed interactive training sessions that included presentations, group activities and discussions on food waste management strategies. This course has been published on an online platform to encourage the active participation and engagement of young people. The e-course consists of 4 modules with the following topics: Module 1 - “Food waste and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”; Module 2 - “Strategic plan to reduce waste”; Module 3 - “Food waste in urban areas” and Module 4 - “Smart solutions and innovative technologies for sustainable food waste management”. (4) Self-assessment tools: The project included the development of an educational self-test that young people can use to assess their own skills and understanding of food waste management. This self-assessment tool can help students recognise opportunities for improvement and encourage them to take proactive steps to reduce their food waste. Self-assessment tools are essential for measuring the project's impact on participants' knowledge and behaviours regarding food waste. By providing a personalised feedback, they contribute to motivate the participants and facilitate continuous improvement and adaptation of educational strategies, ensuring that the project remains effective and responsive to the needs of its participants. This ultimately contributes to the project's goal of promoting sustainable food waste management practices. (5) Development of an online platform: It is created not only provide information about the project and project results and online courses, but also resources, training materials, videos, interactive tools and information about food waste management that are accessible to young people and the general public. The hub has been designed to be user-friendly, accessible to young people and the general public and to promote continuous learning. In addition to the results, the partners also delivered: (1) A concrete overall work plan and activity-specific work plans describing all necessary steps and procedures for a smooth implementation of the project (structure, tasks per partner and responsibilities, project milestones, communication arrangements and reporting); (2) Minutes after each partner meeting, written and submitted by the project leader in co-operation with the project partners; (3) A quality assurance plan covering the entire project process to ensure that all activities are carried out effectively and lead to the desired results based on the quality standards agreed in the partnership; (4) A dissemination strategy with a detailed description of the dissemination tools and activities needed to reach the target groups and a final report on dissemination activities at the end of the project; (5) Participant lists of all local national events; (6) Project logo; (7) Production of informative printed material (brochures, posters); (8) Multiplier event and (9) Social media posts on Facebook and LinkedIn.