Circling the sandwich: measuring food waste and its drivers in UK prepared sandwich manufacture

Abstract

Food waste reduction and reutilisation is paramount to meeting national Waste Directives and achieving the Sustainable Development agenda. Implementing Circular Economy principles provides opportunities for cost savings, new revenue streams, and sustainable resource management. Applying the Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Accounting and Reporting Standard, this study identifies and measures sources of FLW in the manufacture of prepared sandwiches, and explores reduction and reutilisation from a Circular Economy perspective. The examined process contributes to circularity, with a loss rate of 13%, of which 97% is valorised. Waste hotspots include product assembly and ingredient preparation, while operational reductions, design changes, and stakeholder collaboration for high-value side-stream management would further reduce FLW impact. Examining a complex food item at the product-level for the first time, this study provides an evidence base for FLW reduction through inventory and hotspot analysis, contextualising the current extent of circularity and suggesting areas for further development.