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Sustainability Through Circularity: Food Waste Challenges and Opportunities

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1507

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food waste remains one of the most pressing global sustainability challenges, exerting significant environmental, economic, and social impacts across the entire food system. This Special Issue, “Sustainability Through Circularity: Food Waste Challenges and Opportunities”, explores innovative strategies and emerging research aimed at reducing losses, optimizing resource use, and promoting circular approaches that transform waste into valuable inputs. By integrating insights from food science, environmental management, supply-chain design, and policy studies, review articles and original manuscripts seeking to advance understanding of how circular economy principles can address inefficiencies from production to consumption will be considered. Key themes include food loss and waste prevention, valorization of by-products into high-value products, consumer behavior, and the role of institutions in enabling circular transitions. Contributions also examine the intersections between food waste, climate change mitigation, public health, and sustainable development goals, emphasizing the need for systemic solutions supported by cross-sector collaboration. Overall, this Special Issue highlights both the challenges and the transformative opportunities associated with rethinking food waste within a circular framework. The insights presented aim to support researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers in accelerating sustainable practices that foster resilience, reduce environmental burdens, and create more equitable and efficient food systems.

Dr. Adriano Costa de Camargo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • food loss and waste
  • circular economy
  • by-product valorisation
  • resource efficiency
  • supply-chain sustainability
  • consumer behavior

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

21 pages, 2058 KB  
Review
Food Waste in Hospitals: Determining Factors and Sustainable Strategies for Mitigation
by Camila Burgoa Sánchez and Adriano Costa de Camargo
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031458 - 1 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1248
Abstract
Food waste generated by hospitalized patients represents a significant challenge with environmental, economic, and social implications. In this context, Sustainable Development Goal 12, which promotes responsible consumption and production patterns, highlights the urgency of reducing this waste as an essential measure to mitigate [...] Read more.
Food waste generated by hospitalized patients represents a significant challenge with environmental, economic, and social implications. In this context, Sustainable Development Goal 12, which promotes responsible consumption and production patterns, highlights the urgency of reducing this waste as an essential measure to mitigate climate change, optimize resource use, and improve the sustainability of health and food systems. This study presents a narrative review of the literature, complemented by a bibliometric analysis, aimed at synthesizing the available evidence on food waste in hospitals. Based on the identification of 746 records in different databases published between 2019 and 2024, studies focusing on the determining factors, quantification methods, and sustainable strategies to mitigate hospital food waste were included. The lack of menu personalization, the perceived low quality of food, operational disorganization, and reduced patient appetite are identified as relevant factors associated with waste at the hospital level, while direct weighing remains the most accurate quantification method. The sustainable strategies reviewed can reduce food waste and improve hospital sustainability; however, there remains limited assessment of their long-term impact. Our results highlight the urgent need to address food waste in hospitals through the implementation of comprehensive, evidence-based strategies. Full article
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