Smart barcodes reduce food waste
Tools to combat food waste
How much food waste is there in Denmark?
Food waste is a major problem worldwide – and Denmark is no exception. According to Statistics Denmark, 814,000 tons of food is thrown away in Denmark every year. Food waste is a huge burden on the environment as the production of food requires large amounts of energy, water and agricultural land. It’s also a major economic challenge as it costs money to produce food that is then thrown away.
Reducing food waste means reducing the amount of food that goes to waste. This can be done by improving food storage, better logistics planning and traceability, and increasing awareness of food shelf life. By reducing food waste, we can save money, reduce our carbon footprint and ensure there is enough food for everyone.
Help is at hand
Food waste is a huge problem today, with millions of tons of good food going to waste every year. At the same time, hunger is still a major challenge in many parts of the world. It’s bad for the environment and bad for society. Fortunately, there is something we can do to reduce food waste. One of the ways we can do this is by using smart barcodes / 2D barcodes to combat food waste.
According to GS1, the organization behind the barcodes, a study shows that smart barcodes contribute to a 28% reduction in food waste in Danish retail.
Delfi Technologies + GS1 + Invafresh
GS1 wants Denmark to take the lead in implementing the new 2D barcode in grocery retail. GS1 is an international organization that works to improve the efficiency and security of the supply chain by standardizing the identification of goods. GS1 barcodes are one of the ways the organization helps reduce food waste. By assigning a unique barcode to each item, you can easily track how much time the item has left until the expiration date and make an active choice to reduce food waste. Delfi Technologies is a leading provider of technological solutions for the food and retail industries, among others. The company works closely with Invafresh (formerly Whywaste), an organization that works to reduce food waste. Together they have developed a range of tools to help combat food waste, including the combination of food waste app with barcode solutions that include label printers and handheld terminals.
Use label printers and handheld terminals in the fight
Label printers and handheld terminals are some of the tools that can help reduce food waste. Label printers can be used to print GS1 barcodes on labels that can be attached to food products. This way, you can easily track how much time is left until the expiration date and take action to reduce food waste. You can use a mobile label printer, such as the Zebra ZQ610, which is easy to bring around the store so you can print labels directly at the shelves.
Handheld terminals, also known as mobile PDAs, are devices that can scan GS1 barcodes. They are easy to use and can provide an instant overview of which items are approaching their expiration date. This makes it easy to make decisions about which items to remove from the shelves to avoid food waste. MENY, for example, uses the Zebra TC57 handheld terminal in their daily work to reduce food waste.
Fight food waste
Using the smart 2D barcodes and tools from Delfi Technologies you can effectively combat food waste. Label printers and handheld terminals help ensure you keep track of expiration dates and minimize food waste. This avoids food waste and saves money and resources at the same time.
It’s an effective way to make a difference for the environment and society – and a crucial factor in the fight against food waste.
From food waste to meal with electronic item registration
Hos FødevareBanken, en non-profit organisation, der bekæmper madspild og madfattigdom i Danmark, indsamler og viderefordeler man overskudsmad til fordel for socialt udsatte børn og voksne. Throughout the process, a high level of food safety and traceability is ensured by electronic product registration.
Digital tool helps in the fight against food waste
After a convincing test, Dagrofa rolls out the food waste app Whywaste in all MENY stores in Denmark. Hos MENY i Solrød er det allerede lykkedes at opnå en markant reducering af madspild.
