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• National scale inventory of amount of waste produced in ready mix concrete plants. • Influence of concrete characteristics on the volume of residue adhered to the drum. • Mapping of the main factors affecting the concrete returned to the plant. • Real-scale parameterization of the waste generation in industrial production. In Brazil, ready-mixed concrete (RMC) suppliers are adopting management strategies to reduce waste generation. This is because of the increasing scarcity of adequate places for the deposition of waste, which raises the associated costs. Therefore, it is necessary to know the actual volume production of residues in order to optimize the implementation of the recycling. The waste produced in RMC plants are mainly in the form of leftover concrete and adhered to the internal part of the drum of the mixer truck. The present study analyzed the data and produced an inventory of the amount of waste generated by of one of the largest Brazilian concrete companies. In parallel, an experimental study was performed in the real conditions of an RMC plant in order to measure the influence of concrete characteristics on the volume of concrete adhered to the drum. The results showed that about 3% of all the produced volume returns to the plant, comprising approximately 1.6% adhered concrete and 1.4% leftover concrete. The study proved that the volume of concrete adhered concrete depends on the cement consumption and the slump. The volume of concrete loaded and the region where the RMC plant is located do not influence those results. The inventory showed that the main cause of concrete leftovers is associated to over order and corresponds to 58% of this volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste research is growing over the years. Approximately one third of all produced food in the world is lost or wasted annually. However, few studies address food waste in the restaurant's environment. In restaurants, food waste includes leftovers and plate waste. The leftovers are equivalent to prepared but not served food, while plate waste is all the food that was distributed but not consumed. This study quantifies food waste in a chain of industrial restaurants in an industrial park in Brazil. The measurement process covered 14 restaurants that provide around 12,000 meals a day. The data collection lasted 9 months and gathered data for a period of one month for each restaurant during lunchtime. The results indicated daily waste of 1,297 kg, that is, 938 kg for leftovers and 359 kg for plate waste. These numbers indicate excessive production of food and waste of food on plates. The food waste quantified in the present study is equivalent to serving 1,638 meals, considering the same standard offered in the restaurants covered in the research. This food waste, which was measured just during lunchtime, costs the company around U$3,675.99/day. The study focused on the period of lunchtime, which is usually the main meal for Brazilians. However, it would be important to map the other meals to generate data and measurement protocols for reducing food waste. Contributions in the economic, environmental, and social spheres can serve as points of discussion for the implementation of measures that can fight food waste in restaurants. [Display omitted] • The most used food waste measuring methods for food services are presented. • This paper used the direct weighing method to collect food waste data. • Food waste was measured in 14 restaurants located in an industrial park. • Two categories of food waste were derived: leftovers and plate waste. • Overproduction was the main reason for food waste in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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