What this is
What is a food waste log?
What is a food waste log?
A food waste log records entries by stage of loss, quantity and destination, then rolls them into a period summary showing total volume, diversion percentage and the split between redistribution, animal feed and disposal. It is built against ISO 14001 and local food waste and by-products regulations.
Who completes a food waste log?
Production and the environment function together. Production records each loss as it happens, since only the people on the line know the stage and product; the environment lead compiles the period summary and tracks trend.
How often is a food waste log completed?
Continuously at the entry level, as each loss occurs, then at a set interval for the period summary. A log filled in from memory at period end cannot reliably attribute loss to the stage where it actually happened.
Scope
When is a food waste log required?
This log is the specific instrument for food waste, and its most common misuse is treating it as a generic waste record once volumes look routine. Where food safety and animal feed rules apply to the destination, the general waste transfer record will not carry the by-product category or redistribution decision this log expects.
Use this template when
- Food waste is generated at any stage from intake through to customer return
- A destination decision, redistribution, animal feed, digestion or disposal, needs recording against a loss
- A period summary is due, rolling entries into total volume, diversion percentage and trend
- An adverse trend or a barrier to redistribution needs an action raised
- A linked record, the waste stream register, needs this one to exist
Do not use it for
- Waste Stream Register, which lists every stream on site, with classification, container and disposal route, not individual losses
- Waste Transfer Record, which records waste leaving site generally, without stage-of-loss or redistribution detail
- Hazardous Waste Record, which records hazardous waste generation, storage and disposal; food waste is not hazardous even at large volumes
- A quality scrap record on its own, since the scrap event may need logging here too once it becomes waste rather than rework
- Anything outside KnowEnviro, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 14001 requirements does this satisfy?
ISO 14001 requires food waste to be evaluated and controlled as an aspect, not simply totalled, and local regulations govern where it may go once its category is known. Between the two, the log's value depends on stage and destination being real, not just the period total.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 14001 cl.6.1.2 | Environmental aspects of waste generation identified and evaluated, with significant aspects subject to control | Header |
| ISO 14001 cl.8.1 | Operational control ensures waste is directed to its intended destination and that the control is implemented as designed | Entries |
| Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 (Animal By-Products Regulation) | Food waste destined for the animal feed chain is categorised, and only material in the eligible category may be routed there | Entries |
| Local regulations | Organic or food waste diversion and landfill-restriction rules, applied at whatever level the local authority or state sets | Entries |
| ISO 14001 cl.9.1.1 | Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of environmental performance, tracked against a trend rather than a single figure | Period summary |
| ISO 14001 cl.10.2 | Nonconformity or an adverse finding, such as a worsening trend, triggers corrective action with an owner and a date | Period summary |
What it does not cover
- Waste Stream Register, which lists every stream on site without stage-of-loss or destination detail specific to food waste.
- Waste Transfer Record, which documents waste leaving site generally and does not carry a redistribution or feed-category decision.
- Quality scrap or rejection record, which documents why product left the line, not what became of it once it was waste.
- Animal by-products consignment documentation, the specific paperwork required once feed-chain material actually moves off site.
- Environmental Performance Report, which rolls totals across the whole site and period, not a single entry's stage and destination.
Global
Food Waste Log requirements by country
Food waste sits at the intersection of environmental, food safety and animal feed regulation, and what is mandatory rather than voluntary differs sharply by place.
State organic waste diversion mandates
A growing number of states require large food waste generators to divert it from landfill toward donation, animal feed, composting or digestion, with thresholds set state by state.
There is no single federal food waste diversion law, so the applicable duty depends on the state and sometimes the municipality.
Environment Act 2021 and the Animal By-Products Regulation as retained in UK law
Mandatory food waste collection applies above a size threshold, and any food waste routed to animal feed must meet the by-product category conditions.
The collection duty and the animal feed conditions are separate requirements; satisfying one does not satisfy the other.
ISO 14001, and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 food loss and waste target
ISO 14001 certifies food waste is managed as a controlled aspect; SDG 12.3 sets a global halving target, referenced increasingly in customer and investor reporting.
Neither instrument mandates a specific destination, but both expect the trend to be measured and acted on, not just totalled.
How to complete it
How to complete a food waste log, step by step
Most sites can produce a total volume for the period. The log is actually for showing where that volume came from and whether it is moving in the right direction.
A loss noticed in despatch may have originated at intake, storage or processing, and attributing it to the wrong stage sends corrective action to the wrong team. Recording the stage at the point of loss is what makes the period summary's largest-loss-stage figure mean anything.
Material eligible for animal feed has to sit in the permitted category, and defaulting to 'animal feed' without checking is how ineligible material ends up in the feed chain, or eligible material is sent to disposal because nobody checked either way.
A single period's total volume says little without a comparison. A stable or improving trend is evidence that whatever is being done to reduce loss is working; a worsening trend with no action raised means the total is being reported, not managed.
Redistributing surplus safe food to people is the best outcome on the hierarchy, and a barrier recorded as free text with no owner tends to stay a barrier indefinitely. Naming it is a start; assigning someone to resolve it is what moves volume up the hierarchy.
What auditors find
Most common food waste log findings
Food waste findings rarely concern whether the log exists; a total volume is usually there. They concern whether it traces back to a real stage and destination decision.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Stage of loss not recorded, so intake, processing and packing loss cannot be distinguished. | ISO 14001 cl.8.1 | Make stage a required field at entry, not inferred later from where the waste was found. |
| Destination logged as animal feed without the by-product category being checked. | Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 | Require the category field whenever animal feed is selected, and route uncategorised material to a safer default. |
| Redistribution to people not pursued despite being the best available outcome for the load. | Entries | Record why redistribution was not used, not only whether it was, so the pattern of missed opportunity is visible. |
| Worsening trend recorded in the period summary with no corrective action raised. | ISO 14001 cl.10.2 | Make an action required whenever the trend is worsening, rather than leaving it to discretion. |
| Total volume and diversion percentage reported without the avoidable percentage reviewed alongside them. | ISO 14001 cl.9.1.1 | Report avoidable percentage in the same view as diversion percentage, since a good diversion figure can mask a rising avoidable share. |
| Barrier to redistribution logged as text with no owner or follow-up date. | Period summary | Treat a logged barrier as an action in its own right, with an owner and a date, not a closed comment field. |
Case in point
Case in point: the diversion percentage that hid a rising loss
A dairy site reported a diversion percentage above ninety percent for three consecutive quarters, comfortably ahead of target, with most volume going to animal feed. The environmental report each quarter noted the figure and moved on.
A customer sustainability audit asked for the avoidable percentage separately, a figure the site had logged but never reviewed against the total. It had climbed for the same three quarters, driven by a changeover procedure generating more trim loss each switch. Diversion stayed high because animal feed absorbed the extra volume, and nothing in the summary had flagged the loss as avoidable and growing.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
3 sections
- Reference
- ENV-014
- Archetype
- Log
- Record ID
- FWL-2026-000
- Scoring
- Volume and diversion percent
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 14001, local regulations
- Links
- Links Waste Stream
- Tags
- Environment, Waste, Food
- Sections
- 3
- Fields
- 39
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 3
Header
9 fieldsLog ID*
Auto sequence. Format FWL-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Food Waste Is Lost Product
Every kilogram here was paid for as raw material and processed at cost. Treating it as an environmental line item alone misses most of its value.
Entries
Repeats11 fieldsDate*
Stage Of Loss*
Intake, storage, processing, packing, finished goods, returns or customer.
Quantity Kilograms*
Product Or Material*
Reason*
Avoidable*
- No3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- Yes0 pts
Destination*
Redistribution to people is the best outcome, then animal feed, then digestion, then rendering, then disposal.
Animal By-Product Category
- Category 10 pts
- Category 21 pt
- Category 32 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
Value Lost
Linked Case ID
Thread key
Scrap Record ID
Links to QUA-005 Scrap ID
Period summary
19 fieldsTotal Kilograms*
Percent Of Production*
Avoidable Percent*
Redistributed To People
To Animal Feed
To Disposal
Largest Loss Stage*
Largest Loss Reason*
Trend Versus Last Period*
- Improving3 pts
- Stable2 pts
- Worsening0 pts
Redistribution Partner Engaged
Surplus safe food going to a food bank is better for everybody than digestion.
- Yes3 pts
- Exploring1 pt
- No0 pts
Barriers To Redistribution
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Environmental Lead*
Signature*
Production Manager*
Second Signature*
ENV-014 · record IDs look like FWL-2026-000 · Links Waste Stream
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The form is the easy part. Keeping stage and destination honest, chasing a logged barrier, and connecting a rising avoidable share to production is the work that actually slips.
Holds the food waste log against the waste stream register, rolls entries into the period summary, and flags a worsening trend before the quarter closes.
Watches for a logged barrier to redistribution with no owner, and animal feed destinations recorded without a by-product category, then raises both for review.
Connects a scrap or rejection record to this log once the material becomes waste rather than rework, so a quality-driven loss shows up here too.
This template lives in KnowEnviro — environment and energy. Aspects, permits, waste, emissions, spills and sustainability reporting.
Meet KnowEnviro→Glossary
Food Waste Log definitions and key terms
- Diversion percentage
- The share of food waste volume avoiding landfill, through redistribution, animal feed, digestion or rendering, against total waste for the period.
- Avoidable waste
- Food waste preventable by a different decision, such as overproduction or a changeover loss, distinct from waste that is an inherent part of the process.
- Animal by-product category
- The classification, typically Category 1, 2 or 3, determining whether food waste is eligible for the animal feed chain; only the eligible category may be routed there.
- Redistribution
- Passing surplus safe food to people, usually through a food bank, ranked above animal feed, digestion and disposal on the waste hierarchy.
- Stage of loss
- The point in the process, intake, storage, processing, packing, finished goods, returns or customer, where a loss actually originated.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about food waste log
What counts as food waste for this log?+
Any food product or raw material that leaves the process as waste rather than as a saleable output, at any stage from intake through to customer return. It includes trim and offcuts as well as whole product losses.
How is food waste categorised for animal feed?+
Against the applicable animal by-products classification, commonly Category 1, 2 or 3, where only the eligible category may enter the feed chain. The category has to be checked at the point of loss; assuming a product type is automatically eligible is a common source of misrouted material.
What is the difference between avoidable and unavoidable food waste?+
Avoidable waste could have been prevented by a different decision, such as reducing overproduction or fixing a changeover procedure. Unavoidable waste, such as certain trims, is inherent to the process. Tracking the two separately shows how much of the total is within the site's control.
Why track the trend and not just the period total?+
A single period's total says little on its own, and a good diversion percentage can sit alongside a rising avoidable share underneath it. Comparing against the previous period turns the log into a control rather than a report.
Who can receive redistributed surplus food?+
Typically a food bank or similar redistribution partner able to handle safe surplus food. Redistribution ranks above animal feed, digestion and disposal on the hierarchy, and is worth pursuing before defaulting to a lower destination.
How often should a food waste log be raised?+
Continuously at the entry level, as each loss occurs, with a period summary compiled at a set interval. Reconstructing entries from memory at the end of the period loses the stage and reason detail that make the log useful.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Environmental Management
Legal and Other Requirements Register
Lists every law, regulation, permit and commitment that applies to your operation
Compliance Evaluation Record
Records the periodic evaluation of whether you actually comply with each obligation
Waste Stream Register
Lists every waste stream produced on site, with its classification, container and disposal route
Waste Transfer Record
Records waste leaving site, including type, quantity, carrier and destination
Hazardous Waste Record
Records generation, storage and disposal of hazardous waste
Waste Area Inspection
Checks waste storage areas for correct segregation, labelling, containment and housekeeping
More in Waste
Waste Stream Register
Lists every waste stream produced on site, with its classification, container and disposal route
Waste Transfer Record
Records waste leaving site, including type, quantity, carrier and destination
Hazardous Waste Record
Records generation, storage and disposal of hazardous waste
Waste Area Inspection
Checks waste storage areas for correct segregation, labelling, containment and housekeeping
Waste Contractor Audit
Audits a waste contractor's permits, vehicles and destination facilities
Waste Reduction Initiative
Records a project aimed at reducing, reusing or recycling a waste stream
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 14001:2015 clauses 6.1.2, 8.1, 9.1.1 and 10.2
- Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 laying down health rules on animal by-products
- Environment Act 2021 and mandatory food waste collection duties (UK)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.