How to Measure Food Waste in Your Canteen (Without Losing Your Mind)

Last week I had what I thought was a genius idea: what if we only charged customers when they actually reduced food waste?

Think about it - instead of the standard €5/employee/month for Bite Club, we would measure their baseline waste, then charge based on how much they cut it. They save 30% on food waste? We take a percentage of those savings. They save nothing? They pay nothing.

It is the kind of pricing model that makes customers love you because there is zero risk on their side.

"Easy," I thought. "We just pull their food purchasing data from their ERP system. Compare what they bought before vs. after. Done."

Then reality hit:

First problem: Nobody's letting me into their ERP system. Would you give a random SaaS vendor access to your financial data? Yeah, me neither.

Second problem: Even if they did, how do I know how many people actually ate? If they bought €10,000 of food last month and €8,000 this month, is that a 20% reduction in waste? Or did 20% fewer people show up? Or did food prices just drop?

Third problem: Okay fine, forget the ERP. Let's just measure the actual waste. But how? Do you weigh bins? Which bins? What about the soggy lettuce that's been sitting there since Tuesday - does that count as "waste" or "spoilage"? And who's going to stand there every day with a scale while the kitchen staff is trying to clean up during the lunch rush?

That's when I realized: I have absolutely no idea how canteens actually measure food waste in practice.

So I spent the next two days going down this rabbit hole, and here's what I learned: measuring food waste ranges from dead simple (€20 scale + Excel) to sci-fi complicated (€15,000 AI cameras), and most canteens aren't doing it at all.

Which is a problem, because the EU now requires this by 2030. The directive mandates a 10% per capita reduction with reporting starting in 2027. But nowhere in those 50 pages does it tell you the practical logistics of actually measuring.

Here's what matters:

• The EU requires measurement in kilograms of fresh mass, not portions or money spent
• You need to separate waste by category: prep waste, serving waste, and plate waste
• Solutions range from €20 kitchen scales to €10,000+ AI systems
• Most canteens currently have NO measurement system (which makes both compliance and my pricing idea way harder than I thought)

You're probably in the same boat I was: you know you should be measuring food waste, but the gap between "I should do this" and "I'm actually doing this consistently" feels overwhelming.

The good news? After researching every option from manual scales to full AI systems, I can tell you: this isn't rocket science. You don't need a PhD in waste management. You just need to pick the right measurement method for your situation and actually stick with it for more than 3 days.

Let's break down your options.

What the EU Actually Requires (Translation: Skip the Legal Jargon)

Note: For the full context on why this matters and what targets you need to hit, check out our guide to the new EU food waste directive.

The EU Delegated Decision 2019/1597 establishes how Member States should measure food waste. But what does that mean for your canteen on a practical level?

Translation: You need to track how much food (in kilograms) gets thrown away, categorized by where in the process it becomes waste.

Here's the critical bit that most people get wrong: the regulation says "metric tons of fresh mass." Not portions. Not monetary value. Not "we threw away about half a bin today."

Fresh mass means you're accounting for the weight as if the food was fresh, not dried out after sitting in a bin. This matters for compliance reporting, even if it sounds pedantic.

The Three Categories You Need to Separate:

Why separate these? Because each category has different solutions. If your prep waste is high, you've got a kitchen efficiency problem. If plate waste is high, your portions might be too big or the food isn't what people want. The EU methodology (Annex III) specifically requires this breakdown for in-depth measurement.

Reality check: Most canteens I've talked to measure nothing. Some weigh "total waste" without separating categories. Almost nobody is doing this EU-compliant.

Your Four Options: From Dead Simple to Sci-Fi

Option 1: Manual Scales + Excel (The "I'm Broke But Compliant" Method)

What it is: Buy a kitchen scale, weigh your waste bins at the end of each service, write it down in a spreadsheet.

Cost: €20-200 for a decent commercial scale

Best for: Small canteens (under 100 meals/day), tight budgets, just getting started

How it works:

1. Get a scale that can handle 15-30kg (most bin bags with food waste fall in this range)
2. Label three separate bins: "Prep Waste," "Serving Waste," "Plate Waste"
3. Weigh each bin at the end of the day
4. Record in a simple Google Sheet: date, category, weight in kg
5. Track for at least one week per month to establish patterns

Real talk pros:

• Cheap as hell - you can start for under €50
• You control the data completely
• Meets EU compliance requirements if done consistently
• Can literally start today
• No vendor lock-in, no subscriptions

Real talk cons:

• Takes 10-15 minutes per day of staff time
• Human error is rampant (people forget, estimate, or just lie on busy days)
• No automatic categorization - if someone throws prep waste in the plate waste bin, your data is wrong
• Doesn't tell you what food is being wasted, just how much
• Bins get heavy and awkward to lift onto scales
• Staff will hate you after week two

Common mistakes people make:

• Weighing bins with packaging, napkins, and other trash still in them (you need food waste only)
• Forgetting to tare the bin weight - you're measuring the container too, which skews everything
• Tracking religiously for 3 days, realizing it's tedious, then quietly giving up
• Not training staff properly on why this matters, so they half-ass it
• Mixing liquid waste (soup, sauces) with solid waste without accounting for container weight

How to not screw this up:

Label your bins clearly. Like, comically clear. "PREP WASTE ONLY - NO NAPKINS" level of clear. Kitchen staff during lunch rush will throw things in the wrong bin if there's any ambiguity.

Make it someone's actual job. Not "hey everyone, remember to weigh the bins." Assign one person per shift. Put it in their job description. Make it as routine as taking out the trash.

Track for a full week minimum. Food waste varies wildly by day (Monday vs. Friday) and by what's on the menu. One Tuesday of data tells you nothing.

Verdict: This works if you're small, organized, and genuinely disciplined about data entry. Most people aren't, which is why they upgrade after 2-3 months of trying this and hating it.

But it's a great way to start. You'll learn what actually gets wasted, and you'll have baseline data to justify spending more money later on Option 2 or 3.

Option 2: Smart Scales with Touchscreen (The "Let's Get Semi-Automatic" Method)

What it is: IoT-connected scales that weigh waste automatically and let staff categorize it on a tablet. Data syncs to the cloud, you get reports without touching Excel.

Cost: €2,000-5,000 upfront + €50-200/month subscription

Best for: Mid-sized canteens (100-500 meals/day), organizations that want better data without going full AI

Examples:

• Fazla Smart Scale System (popular in Turkey, expanding EU)
• SmartKitchen Food Waste Tracker (available in 35kg or 150kg models)
• Winnow Track (manual categorization version from Winnow, their entry-level product)

How it works:

1. Place your waste bin on the connected scale
2. Staff throw waste in as usual
3. They tap the tablet mounted nearby: "Chicken," "Pasta," "Vegetables"
4. System automatically records weight, category, timestamp
5. Data syncs to cloud dashboard
6. You get daily/weekly reports showing trends, costs, and patterns

Some systems let you integrate with your POS or inventory system, so you can compare what you bought vs. what you wasted.

Real talk pros:

• Way more accurate than manual Excel tracking - no human math errors
• Staff can't "forget" to weigh because the scale does it automatically
• Decent analytics showing trends over time (what gets wasted on Mondays? Which dishes?)
• Still relatively affordable for small-to-mid operations
• Cloud-based means you can check from anywhere, not just the kitchen
• Most vendors offer pretty good customer support

Real talk cons:

• Requires staff discipline to actually tap the category correctly (if they're rushing, they'll just select "Other" for everything, and your data becomes useless)
• Doesn't automatically recognize what food is in the bin - you're trusting manual input
• Needs WiFi or 4G connectivity, which some commercial kitchens don't have reliably
• Subscription fees add up over time (€1,200-2,400/year)
• If the scale breaks, you're stuck waiting for vendor support

Common mistakes:

• Not training staff properly on the tablet interface - they need to actually practice, not just watch a 5-minute demo
• Setting up too many categories (20+ food types) - staff won't remember them all, keep it simple
• Placing the scale in a bad location where it's awkward to use during busy service
• Forgetting to clean the scale regularly (kitchen grease and food residue will mess up the sensors)

Reality check on ROI:

Let's say you're a 200-person canteen spending €50,000/year on food. If you're wasting the typical 10% (€5,000/year), and you cut that by 30% in the first year (€1,500 saved), the system pays for itself in about 2 years at the low end of pricing.

That's not counting the time saved vs. manual tracking. If you're paying someone €15/hour to weigh bins and update Excel for 15 minutes/day, that's €1,000+/year in labor costs avoided.

Verdict: This is the sweet spot for most canteens. You get 80% of the benefits of AI systems at 20% of the price. If your team is reasonably tech-savvy and you can afford the initial investment, this is probably your best bet.

The key is committing to the subscription for at least a year. Don't cancel after 3 months because "we're not seeing results yet." Behavioral change takes time.

Option 3: AI Camera Systems (The "I Want This Fully Automated" Method)

What it is: A camera mounted over your waste bin uses computer vision AI to automatically identify what food is being thrown away and how much. Zero manual input required.

Cost: €8,000-15,000 upfront + €300-800/month

Best for: Large canteens (500+ meals/day), hotels, casinos, cruise ships, organizations serious about cutting waste at scale

Examples:

• Winnow Vision (market leader, used by IKEA, Hilton, Four Seasons)
• Orbisk (plug-and-play, popular in EU, "no training needed" marketing)
• KITRO (Swiss-made, strong in Europe)
• LeanPath (US-based, includes coaching from culinary experts)

How it works:

1. System installs in about an hour: camera mounted over bin, connected scale underneath, tablet for staff feedback
2. Staff throw waste in as normal - no buttons to press, no categorization needed
3. AI takes a photo every time something hits the bin, identifies the food (e.g., "pasta," "chicken breast," "broccoli"), records weight
4. System learns your specific menu over time - needs 200-1,000 images per food item to get accurate
5. You get dashboards showing exactly what's wasted, when, why, and how much it cost you
6. System can integrate with purchasing data to show waste as percentage of food bought

The neural networks run on edge computing (typically Nvidia Jetson chips), so recognition happens in real-time. Data syncs to cloud for analytics.

Real talk pros:

• Fully automated - literally zero staff time wasted on data entry
• Extremely accurate after training period (Winnow claims 80%+ recognition accuracy, studies show similar results)
• Shows you exactly which dishes are being wasted, not just vague categories
• ROI is typically 200-1000% in first year according to vendor data (multiple independent case studies confirm this range)
• Behavioral change happens faster when staff see real-time feedback on what they're throwing away
• Multi-site operations can benchmark across locations

Real talk cons:

• Expensive as hell for small operations (€10,000+ upfront is tough to justify for 50 meals/day)
• Requires stable, fast internet connection (4G/5G or WiFi)
• Training period takes 2-6 weeks where AI is learning your menu
• Overkill if you're only serving limited menu items
• Camera lens needs regular cleaning (kitchen grease fogs it up fast)
• Privacy concerns - some staff don't like being "watched" by a camera

Reality check from actual case studies:

Hilton Dubai Jumeirah saved $65,000 in the first year using Winnow Vision. IKEA cut waste by 50% across 23 UK stores. Four Seasons Costa Rica reduced waste by 50%. These aren't fake vendor testimonials - the case studies are public and verified.

The math works at scale. If you're wasting €20,000/year and you cut that by 40% (€8,000 saved), the system pays for itself in under 2 years even at the high end of pricing.

Common mistakes:

• Installing the camera too high or at a bad angle - the AI needs a clear, direct view of the bin
• Expecting perfect accuracy on day one (the system learns over time, first 2-4 weeks will have errors)
• Not involving kitchen staff in the process - they need to understand why the camera is there
• Installing in kitchens with terrible lighting (AI needs decent visibility)
• Forgetting to budget for the ongoing subscription after the first year

Vendor comparison notes:

Winnow is the market leader with the most installations globally. Their pricing is tiered - bigger kitchens pay more. Customer support is solid.

Orbisk markets itself as "plug and play" with no training period needed. Their AI is pre-trained on common foods. Good for smaller operations that want simplicity.

KITRO is Swiss-made, strong reputation in Europe, focuses on sustainability reporting features. Slightly more expensive but good for compliance-focused organizations.

Verdict: If you're doing 300+ meals/day and serious about waste reduction, this pays for itself. The data quality is dramatically better than manual or smart scales because there's no human input error.

If you're smaller, stick with Option 2 unless you've got a sustainability budget burning a hole in your pocket.

Option 4: DIY Hybrid (The "I'm a Tech Nerd" Method)

What it is: Combine cheap Bluetooth-enabled scales with your own data system - Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, or a custom app.

Cost: €20-500 depending on how fancy you get

Best for: Tech-savvy teams, people who love spreadsheets, very small budgets, those who already have technical infrastructure

How it works:

You're essentially building your own version of Option 2. Buy a Bluetooth-enabled kitchen scale (€50-150), connect it to a tablet or phone running a simple data entry interface you built in Google Forms, Airtable, or a custom web app. Pipe everything into Google Sheets or a dashboard.

Some people use Zapier or Make to automate the data flow. Others write simple Python scripts. The possibilities are endless if you're technical.

Real talk pros:

• Maximum flexibility - you control everything, customize to your exact needs
• Can integrate with your existing systems (pre-ordering software, inventory management, whatever)
• Cheap if you already have the tech skills in-house
• No vendor lock-in, no subscriptions (except for your data tools, which you probably already pay for)
• Great learning opportunity if you're building a food tech product (hint hint)

Real talk cons:

• Requires someone who actually knows how to set this up and maintain it
• No support if something breaks - you're on your own
• You're responsible for maintaining it forever (or until you get tired of it)
• Bluetooth can be flaky in commercial kitchens (metal surfaces, interference)
• If your tech person leaves, you're screwed

When this makes sense:

You're building a canteen management product and want to dogfood your own solution. (This is basically what I'm considering for Bite Club.)

You have an IT person with spare cycles who thinks this sounds fun.

You're a very small operation and genuinely can't afford €2,000+ for a commercial solution.

When this is a terrible idea:

You don't have anyone technical on staff and you're hoping to "figure it out."

You need this for compliance reporting and can't risk your homegrown system failing during an audit.

Your kitchen staff is already tech-resistant and you're about to ask them to use your janky custom interface.

Verdict: Only do this if you're me-level technical or have an IT person with genuine interest in the project. Otherwise, just buy Option 2. Your time is worth money, and building + maintaining this will eat more hours than you think.

That said, if you're trying to figure out food waste measurement for your own product development (like I am), this is a great way to learn the real pain points.

The Timeline: When Should You Actually Do This?

Note: For compliance deadlines and the full timeline to 2030, see our EU food waste directive guide.

THIS WEEK:

• Decide which option fits your budget and kitchen size
• If going Option 1, order a scale on Amazon and set up a simple Google Sheet today
• If going Option 2-3, email 2-3 vendors and request demos (Fazla, Winnow, Orbisk, SmartKitchen)
• Calculate your current annual food spend - you need this number to justify any investment

THIS MONTH:

• Run a one-week baseline measurement using any method (even a crappy manual one is better than nothing)
• Document your current waste levels - this is your "before" data for future comparison
• Get buy-in from kitchen staff - explain why you're doing this, not just that it's required
• If going with a vendor solution, schedule installation

THIS QUARTER:

• Implement your chosen system fully (whether it's manual scales or AI cameras)
• Train staff properly - not just a 5-minute demo, actual hands-on practice
• Start analyzing patterns: Which dishes waste the most? When does waste spike? Why?
• Run one cycle of improvements based on the data
• Measure again and compare to baseline

Reality check: Most people take 2-4 months from "we should do this" to actually having clean, usable data. If you're targeting the 2027 reporting deadline, you need to start now to have 12+ months of baseline data.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Start with a manual scale and Excel if that's all you can do. You can always upgrade later once you have baseline data proving the ROI.

The Honest Pitch (Because We Built Pre-Ordering Software)

Full disclosure: we built Bite Club, a canteen pre-ordering system, so I'm obviously biased about our solution to food waste.

But here's why pre-ordering makes sense regardless of which measurement system you use:

The core logic: If you know exactly how many people want pasta vs. chicken before you start cooking, you produce exactly what's needed. No more "let's make 50 portions of each and hope it works out."

Translation: prep waste and serving waste drop dramatically. You're only dealing with plate waste at that point, which is way easier to manage and measure.

When I was researching this measurement stuff for my success-based pricing idea, I kept running into the same problem: most waste happens before food even gets to a plate. Kitchen overproduction. Buffer stock that sits too long. Dishes that nobody orders but you made anyway.

Pre-ordering solves that directly. But (and this is important) you still need to measure the waste to prove it's working. Which is why I wrote this whole article in the first place.

Bite Club costs €5/employee/month. A typical 200-person canteen spends €1,000/month with us. If you're currently wasting even 10% of a €50,000/year food budget (€5,000/year), cutting that waste in half pays for the system 5x over.

The catch: Pre-ordering requires employee behavior change. They need to remember to order lunch by 10am (or whatever your cutoff is). Some people hate this. Others love the convenience. Your mileage will vary.

We're not pretending to be objective here - we literally sell this stuff. But the logic is sound, and dozens of canteens are already using it to reduce waste. If you want to talk about whether it fits your operation, you know where to find us.

Oh, and about that success-based pricing idea? Still figuring it out. Turns out pricing based on waste reduction is way more complicated than I thought. But measuring the waste is definitely step one, which is why I wrote this article.

Next Steps (Pick One, Do It This Week)

THIS WEEK:

• Order a basic kitchen scale (€20-50) from Amazon and start weighing at least your plate waste bins for 5 consecutive days
• Email 2-3 smart scale or AI vendors (Fazla, SmartKitchen, Winnow, Orbisk) requesting pricing and demos
• Calculate your current annual food spend and estimate waste percentage (10-15% is a realistic assumption for most canteens)

THIS MONTH:

• Run a baseline week of measurement using whatever method you chose - even crappy data is better than no data
• Document the results honestly - don't fudge the numbers to make them look better
• Share findings with your team and identify the top 3 waste sources (prep? serving? plate?)

THIS QUARTER:

• Implement your chosen system fully (whether manual or automated)
• Set a realistic reduction target - the EU requires 10% by 2030, but 20-30% is achievable in year one with focused effort
• Measure again after 90 days and compare to baseline
• Adjust based on what you learned

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Look, measuring food waste isn't glamorous. It's tedious, it requires discipline, and it feels like yet another regulatory box to check.

But it's also one of the few things in a kitchen that's actually measurable and improvable. Unlike "make the food taste better" (subjective) or "make employees happier" (multifactorial), food waste is simple math: weigh bin, compare to last week, adjust behavior.

You don't need a PhD. You don't need a €15,000 AI system (though it helps if you're big enough). You just need to pick a method, stick with it for 90 days, and actually use the data to change something.

The fact that I'm still figuring out my own success-based pricing model proves this stuff is hard. But it's worth figuring out.

Want help figuring this out?

• Free waste reduction calculator: Coming soon - we're building it based on research for this article
• Book a 15-minute call: We'll walk through your specific situation and recommend which measurement method makes sense. Zero pressure, genuinely useful.

Or just start with a €20 scale and a Google Sheet. Seriously. That's infinitely better than doing nothing and hoping the EU doesn't notice.

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Related Resources

From our blog:

• New EU Food Waste Rules for Canteens: What Actually Matters - Understand the regulation, deadlines, and targets before diving into measurement

External resources:

• EU Delegated Decision 2019/1597 - The official EU methodology for measuring food waste
• Eurostat: Food Waste Statistics - Official EU food waste data and measurement guidelines

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Last updated: November 2025