A pre and post analysis of food and carbon flows of a surplus food café initiative

Food waste is a systemic issue augmented by the retail and eatery sectors of the food supply chain. Surplus food redistribution can alleviate the volume of food sent to landfill or compost, and simultaneously offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with food waste. The Rediscovery Centre Food Rescue Café is a pilot programme trialling a surplus food business model, with this research comparing incoming food, residual food waste, and GHG flows before and during the initiative. There was no significant difference in residual food waste produced, and there were GHG savings associated with surplus food use. This finding implies that incoming surplus food does not affect café waste quantity, although the café appears to utilise edible waste more efficiently than previously. The GHG savings from consuming surplus food was estimated at −13.51 kgCO₂e/kg, and this will only increase as the café operates with greater quantities and food types of surplus food. Furthermore, surplus eateries like the Food Rescue Café can be an effective leverage point to create a more socially inclusive circular bioeconomy in Ireland through connecting people and communities with nutritional surplus food. Therefore, a surplus food model appears environmentally and socially sustainable.