Food waste quantities, carbon footprint and nutrient loss in university students' households in Sweden

Abstract

Food waste in households poses a significant barrier to achieving sustainable food systems. This study examines food waste generated by university student households in Sweden, focusing on its weight, carbon footprint, and nutritional impacts. Using kitchen diaries, 109 students quantified their waste by weight over two weeks. On average, 115 g/person/day of food was wasted, with 46 g/person/day classified as avoidable or edible. Avoidable waste generated a carbon footprint of 1.3 kg CO₂e/kg food waste and contained key nutrients, such as dietary fiber (4.7 g/MJ) and folate (56 μg/MJ). Notably, the top 10 % of waste items accounted for 47 % of total waste and 62 % of the carbon footprint. Reducing waste from this fraction by half could achieve a 23.7 % reduction in total waste. When scaled to the national level, food waste from university students in Sweden is estimated to generate 9950 tonnes of CO₂e annually. The findings highlight the importance of targeting both high‑carbon-impact and nutrient-rich waste to align with environmental and public health objectives. Educational interventions and automated waste tracking are recommended to foster sustainable consumption pattern.

Keywords

Sustainable food systems; Life Cycle Assessment; Nutrition

Published in

Sustainable Production and Consumption
2025, volume: 54, pages: 441-451

SLU Authors

• Malefors, Christopher

  • Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Sjölund, Amanda

  • Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Sundin, Niina

  • Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Management

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2025.01.017

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/140517