A review into food waste in Australia’s quick service restaurants has found order mistakes are the biggest driver of food waste, with better staff training a key part of the solution.
The quick service restaurant sector includes fast-food and takeaway outlets that serve quickly prepared meals with minimal table service.
Australia loses $36.6 billion to wasted food each year – about 1.4% of GDP – eroding value across the supply chain through inefficiencies that can be reduced.
The foodservice sector generates 1.2 million tonnes of food waste annually with hospitality contributing over 324,000 tonnes. Takeaway outlets, including quick service restaurants, accounts for 40% of hospitality food waste.
The Quick Service Restaurant Sector Action Plan was developed by RMIT University for End Food Waste Australia to help businesses mitigate back-of-house food waste.
Researchers surveyed owners, store managers and employees, and observed in-store operations to identify waste hotspots and their root causes.
Managers reported the most-wasted food types were buns, fries and vegetables.
Alongside wrong orders or returns, overordering, overpreparing and dropped or spilled food were also reported as major causes.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Li Ping Thong from RMIT said frontline workers need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to identify, prevent and manage food waste.
"Staff want to cut waste and frequent training can empower and motivate them," she said.
Although 70% of survey respondents reported receiving food waste training, only 21% said they received ongoing or refresher training after the initial onboarding.
Solutions for reducing waste
The research found the more training staff had received, including ongoing training, the more motivated they were to act on food waste.
Respondents who had both initial and refresher training were more likely to be motivated to reduce food waste.
Those with no training or one-off induction were more likely to be unmotivated, ignore waste issues or be unsure how to respond.
Busy and quiet periods were ranked as the most wasteful times of day, suggesting outlets need tailored controls for both extremes.
Poor storage conditions and faulty equipment were also major contributors to waste, as were strict safety policies that often force surplus food to be discarded rather than donated.
The quick service restaurant sector is diverse but concentrated, with the top five companies accounting for 43% of the market.
The research identified practical recommendations that can be applied across different operational models and store environments.
Industry Director at End Food Waste Australia, Charlton Honig, said appropriate and regular training for staff is key.
"This project has shown the significant impact of training teams on ordering processes and the true cost of food waste," he said.
"By cutting down on ordering mistakes and educating staff, quick service restaurants can keep more value in their business. It's a win-win – great for profits and the environment."
The report also recommends making food waste metrics part of performance evaluations for managers and staff, while celebrating food waste reduction wins.
Future research could compare objective, quantifiable waste across the industry, by using food waste tracking sheets and other data collection tools.
The Quick Service Restaurant Sector Action Plan, with RMIT co-authors Caroline Francis, Ruby Chan, Karli Verghese, Sam Quirk and Li Ping Thong, is published by RMIT University and End Food Waste Australia. It’s part of a wider suite of Sector Action Plans. Co-funded by the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority and the Queensland Government.
Contact details:
Interviews:
Associate Professor Li Ping Thong, lead researcher, [email protected].
General media enquiries:
RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or [email protected].
