Central Baltic Stories Episode 8: Ce4Re – Helping Restaurants Embrace Circular Economy

In the latest episode of the Central Baltic Stories podcast, we explore how restaurants can reduce food waste and adopt more sustainable practices through the Ce4Re project. Our guest is Altti Näsi, Project Manager at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) and Lead Partner of the project. During the conversation, he shares insights into the challenges restaurants face, the practical tools developed through the project, and the lessons learned from working with businesses across the Central Baltic region.

Turning circular economy into everyday practice

The restaurant sector generates significant amounts of food waste and relies heavily on natural resources. While many businesses are interested in becoming more sustainable, knowing where to start can be challenging. This is where the Ce4Re project comes in. Bringing together partners from Finland, Sweden and Latvia, the project aims to help restaurants adopt circular economy principles through practical tools, peer learning and cross-border collaboration.

According to Näsi, one of the project’s most important goals has been to encourage restaurants to pause and take a closer look at their everyday operations.

“It is valuable for every restaurant to stop for a moment, analyse what is happening, and then start making changes one step at a time.”

Measuring waste opens eyes and small changes can make a big difference

One of the most impactful outcomes of the project has been the development and testing of a food waste measurement tool. By categorising and monitoring waste over time, restaurants gain a much clearer understanding of what they are actually throwing away. For many participating businesses, the results were surprising.

“Many restaurants discovered that their assumptions were completely wrong, both regarding the amount of waste generated and the types of food being discarded,” Näsi explains.

The data has enabled restaurants to move towards more informed decision-making and identify opportunities for reducing waste, improving processes and saving costs.

The project highlighted how relatively simple operational changes can significantly reduce waste. Näsi recalls one example involving broccoli. A restaurant regularly purchased grated broccoli from a supplier while simultaneously discarding large quantities of broccoli stems that could have been processed using equipment already available in the kitchen. The discussion prompted staff to rethink their practices and make better use of the ingredients they already had. Restaurants also experimented with surplus food solutions, including rescue food applications and discounted takeaway meals, helping ensure that edible food was consumed rather than wasted.

Communication is essential and motivation is key

Beyond operational improvements, the project demonstrated the importance of sustainability communication and motivation of restaurants.

Several restaurants began actively sharing information about their waste reduction efforts, food donation practices and participation in rescue food services. According to Näsi, this not only strengthened the restaurants’ sustainability profiles but also influenced customer behaviour. For example, when buffet customers were informed that food waste was being measured, many became more conscious about how much food they put on their plates, helping to reduce plate waste.

One of the most important lessons from the project was the role of motivation and leadership. Näsi describes examples where staff became enthusiastic about measuring waste and even turned it into a friendly competition, celebrating improvements from week to week. In other cases, implementation proved more difficult when managers had limited time or interest in the topic. The experience reinforced the idea that successful sustainability initiatives require engagement from both management and employees.

Looking to the future

Looking ahead, Näsi believes that technology will play an increasingly important role in helping restaurants improve resource efficiency. Artificial intelligence could support routine decision-making and help businesses optimise purchasing, menu planning and waste management.

At the same time, new regulations are likely to accelerate efforts to reduce food waste and improve the utilisation of bio-waste and surplus food. The project team is already preparing follow-up initiatives that will focus on composting and nutrient circulation.

“The need to find better ways to use edible surplus food and bio-waste will only grow in the coming years,” Näsi says.

Building connections across borders

For Näsi, one of the most memorable moments of the project was not related to a tool or pilot, but to the people involved.

During a study visit to Sweden, participants from different countries spent time together outside the formal programme, sharing experiences and ideas. These informal moments helped create lasting professional relationships and highlighted the value of international cooperation.

As the project approaches its conclusion in June 2026, its tools, networks and lessons learned will continue supporting restaurants on their journey towards a more circular and sustainable future.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode (in Finnish) on Spotify.

Learn more about the project:

• Ce4Re project
• SAMK Ce4Re page (in Finnish)

This episode is part of the Central Baltic Stories podcast series. The podcast explores cross-border cooperation, innovation, and community-building in the Central Baltic region. Hosted by Anne Jylhä, the national Contact Point in Finland, each episode features inspiring stories, interviews, and insights from project partners, experts, and change-makers.

Would you like to share your or your project’s story in the podcast? Contact Anne at anne.jylha@uudenmaanliitto.fi. Episodes are recorded in Finnish and English.