The implementation of the “Ce4Re – Circular Economy Solutions in Restaurants” project, which started in September 2023, continues.
From January 17 to 19, 2024, the second in-person meeting of the project took place in Stockholm, Sweden, where partners reviewed the implementation of circular economy principles in the restaurant sector in Latvia, Finland, and Sweden.
Each country offers a unique environment for the growth of the restaurant sector, influenced by its political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal context. The comparison revealed different challenges and opportunities shaped by each country’s unique factors. In Latvia, the focus is on sustainable and transparent practices, balancing technological advancements, such as digitalization, with environmental challenges like waste management. Sweden’s strengths lie in its stable political and economic environment, which supports sustainable agriculture and progressive technological integration, such as the use of artificial intelligence. Finland emphasizes sustainable development, technology implementation in payment and ordering systems, and strict regulatory frameworks for food safety and employee well-being. However, the hospitality industry in Finland faces slow recovery in foreign tourism following the Covid-19 pandemic and security risks related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Partners also shared information about activities carried out so far in each country as part of the project. Representatives from the Vidzeme Planning Region informed the partners about the Ce4Re project launch seminar held on November 8 last year at the “Pavāru māja” restaurant in Līgatne, where restaurant representatives from Vidzeme were invited to participate. The seminar helped identify restaurant representatives interested in engaging in the project activities to implement circular economy solutions in their operations. Preliminary interviews with restaurant representatives are currently being conducted, helping the project team attract restaurants to participate in the development and testing of the waste reduction tool, circular menu tool, and the “EkoGo” marketing app.
Each partner is responsible for developing one digital tool. The Pyhäjärvi Institute is working on the circular menu tool, Ekomatcentrum will create the “EkoGo” marketing app, while the Vidzeme Planning team is organizing the development of the waste reduction tool, which includes both software development and technical solutions for measuring and tracking waste volume and weight.
The primary value of the project’s expected outcomes is the creation of these digital tools specifically for small and medium-sized restaurants, as the solutions currently available on the market are suitable for large catering companies, primarily in the public sector—schools, hospitals, and retirement homes. This was also confirmed by the expert invited to the project meeting, Erik Bergseth from “Matilda Foodtech,” a company with over 20 years of experience in developing and implementing menu tools and waste reduction solutions in the public sector and large food production and wholesale companies in the Nordic countries, Germany, the UK, and other parts of Western Europe. However, the company is interested in sharing its experience to help develop similar tools for small and medium-sized catering businesses.
Based on information obtained from interviews with restaurant representatives, the meeting participants agreed on the main topics for training seminars for restaurant representatives. The seminar series will take place in the spring of 2024. Industry experts and experienced restaurant representatives in the field of circularity and sustainability will share their knowledge with seminar participants on topics such as waste sorting and reduction, resource-efficient use, circular menu development, basic marketing for restaurants, and more.
The Ce4Re project aims to promote thoughtful resource consumption and waste reduction in food service businesses in the Central Baltic region. To achieve this, unified circular economy solutions for restaurants will be developed, covering food procurement, preparation, and serving stages.
The Ce4Re project will involve 300 restaurants, with more than 60 of them actively participating in the development and testing of solutions that will help reduce waste, promote resource efficiency, and enhance business sustainability.
The Ce4Re project is being implemented by Satakunta University of Applied Sciences and its Tourism Business Development Center in Finland, in collaboration with partners from the Vidzeme Planning Region in Latvia, Ekomatcentrum in Sweden, and the Pyhäjärvi Institute in Finland.
Ce4Re is a project of the Central Baltic Program 2021-2027, co-funded by the European Union and its project partners. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Commission, which bear no responsibility for them.
For more information about the Ce4Re project, visit: https://centralbaltic.eu/project/ce4re/.
