In India, around 70 million tonnes of food is wasted annually. This amounts to 45% of the total food generated and the same translates into an economic loss of around 1 lakh crore rupees. Untreated food waste can have serious ramifications in the form of multifarious environmental, social and economic problems. These include emission of greenhouse gasses , and predominance of diseases like dengue, cholera, etc. Ineffective wet waste management and mismanagement of food waste results in over saturation of landfills and improper segregation can result in the predominance of detrimental mixed waste. Food wastage also has an adverse social impact, 200 million people in India suffer from malnutrition due to shortage of food every year, this includes 50 million children.
Excess of food waste also translates into multifold health hazards. These can manifest in the form of water and air contamination. The same can lead to a plethora of pest diseases and other health hazards including mental health issues. These health hazards can, in turn, put a severe strain on the existing health infrastructure.
Food waste management as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, ensures legal compliance and minimizes environmental impact. Benefits include reduced waste disposal costs, improved sustainability, enhanced brand image through CSR initiatives. It also supports resource recovery, reduces landfill dependency, and contributes to a circular economy.
SWM rules mandates that businesses must segregate waste at source and food waste needs to be categorized at Wet waste. Businesses need to ensure that decentralized composting is done which also includes food waste. EPR guidelines encourage producers to manage the lifecycle packaging waste, food packaging is a large contributor to this waste.
Under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, businesses with a net worth above ₹500 crore are required to spend 2% of their average net profits from the last three years on CSR activities. Many business in Food Industry are using these spends to invest in reducing and redistributing food waste.
Promotes segregation and management of food waste in commercial sectors.
Saahas Zero Waste (SZW) offers comprehensive food waste solutions, including on-site composting and bio-methanation, ensuring efficient wet waste management. On-site methods convert food waste into compost or biogas for reuse, promoting sustainability. For locations without space or resource limitations, off-site processing options ensure responsible waste treatment while maintaining traceability and compliance.
Onsite composting converts food waste into nutrient-rich compost using modular aerobic composting units or in-vessel systems. These solutions cater to diverse scales, from small offices managing 10–20 kg per day to industrial townships or educational institutions processing up to 1.5 TPD (tonnes per day). This approach reduces waste volumes at the source, cuts down transportation costs and emissions, and produces compost for landscaping or gardening, making it an efficient and sustainable waste management option.
Biomethanation processes food waste through anaerobic digestion, generating biogas (renewable energy) and digestate (organic fertilizer). Ideal for medium to large-scale operations, biomethanation units can handle upwards of 500 kg per day for a tech park and scale beyond 500 TPD for municipalities. This method supports clean energy generation and waste-to-resource conversion. Onsite systems enhance resource efficiency, while offsite setups address space and resource constraints effectively.
Food waste occurs at the retail or consumption stage when edible food is discarded. It can be categorized into three types:
Food loss occurs during the production, processing, and distribution stages due to inefficiencies such as poor harvesting techniques or inadequate storage. In contrast, food waste happens at the retail or consumption stage when edible food is discarded. For example food loss is milk products that decay due to insufficient cold storage facilities whereas food waste is paneer wasted by attendees at a marraige party,
Food waste management is extremely important because food wastage goes against the idea of sustainability and wastage of food also results in the loss of resources invested in the production.
The different ways of food waste management are Composting, Anaerobic digestion, Upcycling etc.
Food waste is a grave issue as it can impact the environment and health. Wastage of food also results in the loss of resources utilized in their production.
Wet waste is also called organic waste, and wet waste management involves handling materials like food waste, vegetable peelings, garden waste, etc.
Efficient food waste management can contribute towards meeting the goals of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). It also contributes towards ESG goals in terms of mitigating the harmful impact on the environment and facilitating social equality through an equitable distribution of food.
The concept of “Reduce” is crucial in food waste management as it minimizes waste generation at the source by promoting mindful purchasing, proper storage, and consumption planning. This approach not only conserves resources but also reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal.
Strategies include promoting portion control, optimizing inventory, organizing awareness campaigns, and encouraging the use of surplus food apps or donations to prevent excess food waste.
Got something on your mind? Let's discuss about the details.
