Although food service plays a significant role in resource consumption, food waste generation, packaging use, and environmental impacts, the sector currently lacks harmonised methods and indicators for assessing its circular economy performance. CIRCULARIS Project aims to fill this gap by developing a harmonised framework of circularity indicators tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of food service sector. The framework will support the measurement and improvement of performance in areas such as resource efficiency, waste prevention, food waste reduction, reuse, recycling, sustainable procurement, and circular business practices. To strengthen the practical application of circular economy principles, the project will combine digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence, data-driven solutions, and Digital Product Passports (DPPs) to improve data collection, interoperability, traceability, and transparency across the food service value chain. By transforming fragmented information into reliable and actionable insights, CIRCULARIS will enable food service operators and other stakeholders to make more effective, evidence-based decisions and identify opportunities for reducing resource consumption and environmental impacts. At the same time, the project will bridge the gap between circular economy theory and practice by providing practical tools, guidance, and governance approaches that can be adopted by businesses, policymakers, researchers, and other actors. Through strong collaboration across the European ecosystem, CIRCULARIS seeks to create a common approach to measuring circularity, support the scaling of successful circular practices, and contribute to a more efficient, transparent, resilient, and sustainable European food system.
