Innovative Approaches to Food Waste Management : Leveraging Mobile Responsive Cloud Solution for Effective Redistribution

Abstract

Food waste is a significant global challenge with profound economic, social, and environmental impacts, especially in countries like Sri Lanka. This study explores food waste in Sri Lanka's food industry, focusing on the challenges hindering surplus food redistribution. Although it is a crucial aspect of addressing food waste, it is often overlooked and deserves more attention. The findings reveal that while sales promotions and discounts partially lower waste, large quantities of edible food are still discarded, making food insecurity worse among vulnerable groups such as foster children's homes, elder care facilities, and similar setups.

This research identifies key challenges in redistributing surplus food, including limited donor motivation, the absence of a coordinating body, and various operational barriers. To address these issues, the study introduced No2Scrap, a cloud-based, mobile-optimised software tool. This enables organisations seeking food donations to submit their needs as requests, while food enterprises can submit surplus food as donations. The system matches these inputs and helps bridge the coordination gap, enhancing the redistribution process with the involvement of community volunteers.

Furthermore, the study points to the urgent need for collective action among government bodies, food enterprises, and local communities. It also highlights the importance of supportive policies and public awareness in ensuring the success of surplus food redistribution.