At Kaarea, we have long been committed to systematic environmental work, and in 2025 we were awarded the Ekokompassi certificate in recognition of these efforts. The aim of the certificate is to reduce the negative environmental impacts of our operations while also identifying and strengthening their positive effects. As part of our Ekokompassi work, we have identified the areas where our operations have the greatest environmental impact. In our food services, one important and ambitious goal is to reduce food waste to no more than 8% of all prepared food.

Where does food waste come from?

Food waste is widely discussed, but we rarely stop to consider that there are different types of waste. In food services, waste is typically divided into two main categories: production waste and plate waste. Production waste occurs when more food is prepared than consumed. Plate waste, in turn, is food left on the customer’s plate.

At Kaarea, we track both types of food waste and record them daily so that we know the consumption and waste of different dishes accurately. We use this data, for example, when planning our menus and we aim to minimize both production waste and plate waste. However, our Ekokompassi target focuses specifically on production waste.

Managing waste starts with estimating demand

Production waste is the result of overestimating demand. However, a completely zero-waste operation is not a realistic goal, because then food would run out. For this reason, at Kaarea we focus on what has the greatest impact: forecasting demand. In practice, we use a production management system that shows previous consumption and waste, forecast production volumes based on data, and follow the principle: “We produce according to demand in order to minimize waste”.

Especially in school meals, the number of diners varies greatly, making forecasting challenging and the 8% target ambitious. Even so, our goal is clear: food waste should account for no more than 8% of prepared food.

Waste is put to good use

As stated earlier, zero waste is not a realistic goal, and at Kaarea we want to ensure that our production waste does not go to waste. We cooperate with the Finnish Red Cross food aid programme in six schools, where surplus food is distributed by Red Cross volunteers. In 2025, surplus food was distributed at these locations on a total of 15 582 occasions.