Hybrid Futures
Online self-assessment of food waste practices
DIRECT Online Dynamic Industry Resource Efficiency Calculation Tool
Businesses will be able to self-assess their food waste practices through the development of the online Dynamic Industry Resource Efficiency Calculation Tool (DIRECT). They can use the data to identify opportunities to reduce food loss and waste and the costs associated with it. New income streams may eventuate, leading to a pivot from food waste costing industry to providing a revenue resource.
Co-designed with industry, DIRECT will help businesses across the entire food supply chain understand the true cost of waste, including how to conduct resource efficiency assessments, identify and calculate resource efficiency, and understand the business value of improving resource efficiency. The initial version of DIRECT was developed by RMIT University in conjunction with the Plenty Food Group as an Excel spreadsheet and accompanying website www.directool.com.au. It focused primarily on tracking material and energy inputs/outputs, waste streams, and associated business costs at the manufacturing/processing stage.