Recycling dining: Food waste traded in at pop-up eatery

The concept behind Biomat is that diners are encouraged to bring in their food waste, which is then weighed and its nutritional value is translated into an energy value. They then receive a discount on their meal, based on the amount of waste they bring in. The waste is taken to an urban farm in Vienna, where it is recycled into biogas, a renewable energy source.

‘With the organic kitchen waste an average household produces, enough biogas for regular use of a gas stove can be developed,’ says Wiedermann.

The installation is a temporary representation of Wiedermann’s vision of the future, where every kitchen will contain a self-sufficient cooker that runs entirely biodegradable waste.

Food waste is a global problem, and more companies are bringing attention to it, raising awareness by offering unique solutions. For more examples, see our coverage of the forthcoming supermarket, The Daily Table, which will sell out-of-date food and our Innovate profile on zero-waste restaurant Silo.