From Food Waste into a Resource: Laurea develops circular economy solutions

Around 350 million kilograms of food waste are generated annually in Finland at different stages of the food supply chain. Waste occurs in primary production, the food industry, retail, restaurants and households alike.

Building a more sustainable and efficient food system requires close collaboration and multidisciplinary solutions across the entire food ecosystem. This ecosystem stretches from raw material production and agriculture to the food industry, logistics, packaging, retail, food services and households. Cities, legislators, public authorities and higher education institutions also play an important role in shaping the system.

Laurea acts as both a developer and facilitator within this ecosystem, bringing together education, research, development and innovation activities, and collaboration with working life to address the needs of different stakeholders.

Laurea also serves as a meeting place for food ecosystem experts, innovators and other stakeholders. A Circular Food Economy Afterwork event held in Leppävaara brought together members of the food ecosystem network to discuss ways of reducing food waste and to hear current perspectives on food-related circular economy solutions.

Food ecosystem actors develop new solutions to reduce waste

Experts, innovators and other stakeholders from the Uusimaa food ecosystem gathered at the Circular Economy Afterwork event to exchange ideas and discuss circular food systems.

Among those presenting their solutions were Yhteinen pöytä, which provides food aid; Zipli, which improves ecosystem efficiency through food waste data; and Fiksuruoka, which gives surplus food batches a second chance. Code Ananas, which helps households reduce food waste through a mobile application, and Fazer, which has decades of experience in utilising production side streams, also shared their work.

The audience also heard from Jere Hakkarainen, a student in Laurea’s Degree Programme in Hospitality Management and a founding member of Mesiberry, a company that cultivates cloudberries. At Mesiberry, the entire production process has been designed to ensure that every part of the plant is utilised, significantly reducing waste.

Laurea also participated in the discussion.

“Laurea is involved in developing practical solutions for working life that reduce food waste, improve the circulation of materials and nutrients, and create new opportunities for sustainable business,” said Tanja Johansson, Director of Business administration, information technology and services, during her presentation.

Laurea Head Chef Joni Vilpus, who has worked for years on reducing food waste, prepared a menu together with two students using ingredients that might otherwise have been discarded. The menu featured stems from courgettes, tomatoes and aubergines, and a delicious dessert was created from potato peels.

A human-centred approach guides Laurea’s circular economy work

At Laurea, circular economy solutions are developed through a human-centred approach.

“We consider how people can be engaged in change and how circular economy systems can be designed to genuinely work by taking human perspectives into account,” says service designer Heidi Wallin, who has extensive experience in food-related circular economy projects.

Laurea is keen to advance food circularity through research, development and innovation projects and commissioned assignments and research carried out in collaboration with companies.

The circular economy is also a cross-cutting theme in Laurea’s Hospitality Management education. Practical development work takes place, for example, in food service waste management and in the experimental kitchen activities of BarLaurea.

In addition, Laurea participates in various networks that promote collaboration and support the sustainability of the food system.

The outlook also extends beyond Finland.

“We are increasingly seeking international projects. We are interested in showcasing Finland’s pioneering work in this field,” says Heidi Wallin.

Looking to develop circular economy solutions in your company?

We help SMEs develop their operations by providing tools, planning templates and support for development work and experimentation. Collaboration can take many forms, including commissioned research projects that identify solutions tailored to a company’s needs, such as making better use of side streams and surplus materials. Joint development projects, student assignments and thesis projects are also possible.

To find the most suitable form of collaboration, companies are encouraged to contact the Circular Economy Living Lab. Together, we can identify your organisation’s needs and determine the most effective way to develop new circular economy solutions.