Last updated 5 months ago by Jessica Brooks | Published: November 14, 2022

Measuring Our Food Waste

Globally, around 17 percent of all food produced — approximately 931 million tons — is wasted annually across retail and consumer levels. The majority of this waste occurs in households (11 percent), followed by the food service industry (5 percent), and retail (2 percent) [United Nations, 2022 – https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-food-waste-day]. Food waste also significantly contributes to global warming and climate change, adding to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation.

‘The fact that substantial amounts of food are produced but not eaten by humans has substantial negative impacts: environmentally, socially and economically. Estimates suggest that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.’

UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021 – https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-20210

Food is central to our tours in Mongolia, shaping experiences and connecting travellers with local culture. However, food waste management in a country like Mongolia—where formal food waste collection systems don’t exist and where we often operate in remote areas with herding families—presents unique challenges. There’s no simple solution, but there are meaningful steps we can take.

Identifying Our Main Food Waste Sources

To effectively manage food waste, it’s essential to understand where it originates. We’ve identified three primary sources:

• Unserved Food Waste:  This includes food prepared but not consumed due to factors like customer preferences, changes in guest numbers, or expired stock.
• Plate Waste:  Uneaten food left on plates, often resulting from oversized portions or unanticipated guest preferences.
• Preparation Waste:  Comprised mostly of unavoidable trimmings and peelings, although careful planning and preparation techniques can reduce this type of waste.

By identifying these key areas, we can begin to implement targeted actions to minimize waste, enhance sustainability, and better serve our guests while respecting local resources.

Food Waste Collection Mongolia

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mongolia generates approximately 2.9 million tons of solid waste annually, with about 1.2 million tons coming from Ulaanbaatar alone. While 17.8% of this waste is recycled in the capital, food waste itself is not yet recycled. Instead, it is typically disposed of in formal landfills or through illegal dumping, contributing to environmental and health concerns.

To address this, the Ulaanbaatar Community Food Waste Recycling Project, funded by the ADB and the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, aims to explore ways in which the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar (MUB) can establish food waste recycling with the help of community participation. This initiative is intended not only to improve local living conditions and reduce health risks but also to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and create opportunities for new business ventures and jobs through pilot recycling projects.

Actions to Limit Our Food Waste

On multi-day tours, our EL team prepares most meals using a small mobile kitchen transported in the tour vehicle. This setup gives us the flexibility to adapt menus based on guest preferences and avoid reliance on tourist ger camps, where meal times are restricted, and standards vary. Preparing our own meals also respects the limited resources of the rural families we partner with, avoiding unnecessary pressure on their time, fuel, and supplies.

To prevent food waste, we’ll begin by identifying the main sources of waste in our operations. As a small company with limited financial resources, we’ll start with simple, manageable actions, tackling one or two changes at a time to ensure they are successful and sustainable. Once these initial changes are integrated, we’ll reassess to identify further opportunities for improvement.

We’ll share an update on our progress and any measurable achievements in reducing food waste on our tours.

Our Restrictions and Existing Practices

Our office space is a two-room apartment on the second floor of a nine-story building with limited storage, preventing bulk purchasing, especially for perishable items. Each tour team buys food for their specific trip at the start, reducing waste associated with unused stock. Storage space is similarly constrained in our tour vehicles, and we lack refrigeration options on tour, which influences our food selection and preservation methods.

We own two storage shipping containers in Ulaanbaatar, primarily used for large equipment like tents, mountain bikes, and kitchen supplies; however, these are approximately 10km from our office, limiting their use for day-to-day food storage.

Most of our team members have roots in herding families, where food is valued due to the direct involvement in its production. This heritage brings a natural tendency to minimise waste. Traditional Mongolian preservation techniques, such as air-dried meat (borts) and salted, slow-cooked meat (shuuz), which can last up to a month without refrigeration, are also integrated into our food practices on tour.

Supporting Local and Reducing Food Miles

As part of our Climate Action Plan, we’re mindful of our “foodprint.” Teams purchase local, seasonal produce to support the communities we visit, sourcing foods like berries, wild onions, rhubarb, pine nuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh greens. We avoid imported items and limit food miles by choosing local options over exotic produce. Our meals include both traditional meat dishes and vegetable-based options, maintaining cultural authenticity while also being conscious of sustainability.

Our Actions to Minimise Food Waste

We are committed to minimising food waste although it requires thoughtful planning and practical strategies. Here’s how we’re looking at taking action:

• Team Brainstorming and Strategy Development:  We’ll work together to identify the main types and quantities of food waste we produce, then develop a targeted waste reduction strategy. This will include an easy-to-follow action list for team members.
• Optimising Food Storage: Most meals are made from scratch, with occasional use of packaged items like sauces. We’ll research food storage options, exploring airtight reusable containers and vacuum packs to help extend the freshness of ingredients. Our use of traditional Mongolian preservation methods, like air-dried and salted meats, continues to be invaluable on tours without refrigeration. We also provide UHT or powdered milk for ease of storage.
• Training and Menu Planning:  Each off-season, we conduct training sessions that include cookery lessons and menu planning, ensuring that team-created menu books remain relevant to tour experiences and available ingredients. This training helps standardise practices across our tours.
• Repurposing Leftovers: We’ll explore creative ways to turn unused food into other dishes, such as transforming leftover bread into breadcrumbs, vegetables into soup, or fruit into salad.
• Thoughtful Meal Presentation: Before each meal, we’ll evaluate what’s offered on the table, such as bread or crackers, to prevent unnecessary waste.
• Standardising Portion Sizes: Portion control is a balancing act, especially given Mongolia’s culture of generous hospitality. To address this, we’ll consider methods like using measuring cups, offering second helpings instead of large initial portions, or providing half or side portions as needed.
• Minimising Single-Use Items:  We already use reusable utensils, washable cups, glasses, and refillable containers, but we aim to further reduce single-use disposables, such as sauce sachets and jam packets.
• Encouraging Local Dining: On certain days, we give guests the freedom to dine at local restaurants, bars, or cafes, which reduces the meals we prepare while supporting local businesses and offering guests a taste of Mongolian cuisine beyond our kitchen.

If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information on how we measure our food waste, please feel free to reach out.

Jess @ Eternal Landscapes