What is Leifur Arnar?
Food waste is a major worldwide issue. According to the World Food Programme of the United Nations, one-third of all food produced in the world is wasted, amounting to approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food being thrown away each year. This figure rises dramatically when only the Nordic countries are considered, where approximately 3.5 million tonnes of food are wasted each year.
First and foremost, global food waste should be significantly reduced, but it is also necessary to ensure that organic waste is directed to the proper channels. If it ends up in landfills and is allowed to decompose with other waste under anaerobic conditions, methane gas is produced. Methane gas is approximately 25 times more harmful to the environment than CO2.
Leifur Arnar is a project that aims to raise awareness of the significant impact that food waste has while also encouraging people to think about packaging for prepared foods.
What happens to Leif-Arnar (leftovers)?
The project has two objectives.:
- To reduce food and packaging waste in restaurants by implementing the Leifur Arnar packaging system, which allows people to take food with them (take-out or leftovers) in compostable packaging.
- Creating an incentive and certification system to ensure that restaurants operate in accordance with the climate triad:
1. Reduce food waste with the Leifur Arnar system
2. Gather and return all used frying oil to biodiesel production (Orkey)
3. All organic waste is composted (Molta)
The Leifur Arnar project is funded by:
The Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate
The Northeast Iceland Development Fund SSNE