The Swedish fika down the drain

Abstract

Considering coffee's significant social role, reducing coffee waste is pivotal. We quantified liquid coffee waste generated in the Swedish food service sector and explored causes and potential mitigation measures. We combined quantitative data from 76 days across six restaurants with qualitative insights. The results showed that 10% of brewed coffee is wasted daily, corresponding to 3.3 kg restaurant/day, 13 g customer/day and 739 g employee/day. When extrapolated to national scale, these findings suggest that Swedish restaurants generate approximately 17,800 tonnes of coffee waste annually. Thus liquid coffee waste represents a previously unaccounted for 21% increase in food waste, not including waste left in consumers’ cups. We identified cost savings as a motivator for waste reduction and time constraints as a significant barrier. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of food service waste, while also highlighting the need for inclusion of liquid waste in national statistics and for policy intervention.