The main objective of the Ce4Re project is to promote the transition towards circular economy in the Central Baltic restaurant sector. As restaurants are influential in shifting to a circular economy for food, the project accelerates the change towards a regenerative circular food system in the Central Baltic region. This is accomplished by developing joint, simply-to-use and low-cost solutions in the restaurant sector as well as increasing their knowledge and skills in circular economy.
The main target group are micro and small size restaurants and their value chains. This is essential as the existing tools are designed for larger scale public restaurants. The restaurant sector is defined as private restaurants, bars, cafes, pubs, catering businesses. The European Union´s definition for micro and small size companies is that they employ less than 50 employees. Restaurants can be in rural and urban surroundings.
The focus is in food waste but also other waste types e.g., packaging waste is considered as a waste category. The developed solutions focus on three CE principles and processes in purchasing, preparing, and serving food in restaurants to reduce waste: Redesign, Reduce, Rethink.
These circular economy principles are logically connected: first it is essential for restaurants to purchase a right amount of locally grown food, second to prepare and serve it in a sustainable and circular manner and third to influence consumers to increase its demand and their awareness. Thus, the developed solutions are about strategically reducing pre- and post consumer waste as well as to improve ordering, purchasing and production planning in CB restaurants. A marketing tool to change customer behaviour will also be included in the project.
Piloting with Restaurants
An important part of the project has been cooperation with pilot restaurants. The tools developed in the project are piloted with partner restaurants and case studies on their goals and solutions regarding the circular economy have been conducted.
CASE STUDY: Naantalin metsätähti (pdf)
Three Digital Tools for Restaurants
During the project, three free digital tools have been created for restaurants. These tools allow restaurants or other interested parties to develop and grow within circular economy themes independently and according to their own needs and wants. The tools can be used in English, Finnish, Swedish or Latvian.
Menu Tool – a recipe bank, a lightweight inventory tool and an aid for creating circular menus
Waste Tool – a tool for recording and reducing food waste
EkoGo – a marketing tool for restaurants working on their sustainability
Ce4Re project is funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme. The coordinator of the project is Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK). The other partners are Pyhäjärvi Institute, EkoMatCentrum in Sweden and Vidzeme Planning Region in Latvia.
More information at the project webpage of the Central Baltic Programme.