ALBERT

Description: As it is the case in many industrialized countries, household food waste accounts for a large share of total food waste in Germany. Within this study, the characteristics of edible and inedible domestic food waste, the reasons for discarding food and the potential influence of socio-demographic factors on food waste generation are assessed. A data set of 6853 households who participated in a diary study in 2016 and 2017 was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics, parametric tests, and linear regression. The results indicate that perishable products such as vegetables, fruits, and bread are mainly affected by disposal. Moreover, household food waste occurs due to quantity problems at purchase for small households and quantity problems at home for larger households and households with children. Despite statistically significant differences in food waste amounts between household lifecycle stages, age of the head of household, household size, and size category of the municipality, socio-demographic factors have a limited power in predicting a household’s food waste level. The study has important implications for food waste policy and research regarding the issues of food waste prevention measures, quantification methodologies, and monitoring implementation.

Description: This study presents two food waste prevention measures focusing on the interface between the food service sector and its food suppliers. Through a case study on procuring salmon by a hotel kitchen, the use of food products with different convenience grades is examined. The convenience grade of the fish bought (whole salmon, fillets or portions) determines where along the food chain filleting and/or portioning takes place and thus where food waste from cut-offs occurs. To reduce food waste, we propose purchasing filleted or portioned salmon rather than whole salmon. For both measures, effectiveness is calculated by looking at food waste reductions along the food chain, achieved by a better use of filleting and portioning cut-offs. Next, sustainability across the environmental, economic and social dimension is evaluated by calculating (a) avoided embodied environmental impacts and economic costs, (b) avoided food waste disposal environmental impacts and economic costs and (c) environmental, economic and social impacts and costs associated with implementing the measures. Purchasing fillets or portions instead of whole salmon leads to food waste reductions of −89% and −94%, respectively. The interventions further lead to net climate change impact savings along the salmon chain of −16% (fillets) and −18% (portions). Whereas the kitchen saves costs when switching to fillets (−13%), a switch to portions generates additional net costs (+5%). On a social level, no effects could be determined based on the information available. However, good filleting skills would no longer be needed in the kitchen and a time consuming preparation can be sourced out.

Description: The procedures used and the results obtained in the joint Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) navigation certification of the two-Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) S-band tracking configuration for support of low- to medium-inclination (28.5 to 62 degrees) Shuttle missions (STS-29 and STS-30) and Shuttle rendezvous missions (STS-32) are described. The objective of this certification effort was to certify the two-TDRS configuration for nominal Space Transportation System (STS) on-orbit navigation support, thereby making it possible to significantly reduce the ground tracking support requirements for routine STS on-orbit navigation. JSC had the primary responsibility for certification of the two-TDRS configuration for STS support, and GSFC supported the effort by performing Ground Network (GN) and Space Network (SN) tracking data evaluation, parallel orbit solutions, and solution comparisons. In the certification process, two types of orbit determination solutions were generated by JSC and by GSFC for each tracking arc evaluated, one type using TDRS-East and TDRS-West tracking data combined with ground tracking data (the reference solutions) and one type using only TDRS-East and TDRS-West tracking data. The two types of solutions were then compared to determine the maximum position differences over the solution arcs and whether these differences satisfied the navigation certification criteria. The certification criteria were a function of the type of Shuttle activity in the tracking arc, i.e., quiet, moderate, or active. Quiet periods included no attitude maneuvers or ventings; moderate periods included one or two maneuvers or ventings; and active periods included more than two maneuvers or ventings. The results of the individual JSC and GSFC certification analyses for the STS-29, STS-30, and STS-32 missions and the joint JSC/GSFC conclusions regarding certification of the two-TDRS S-band configuration for STS support are presented.