"It should be second naturelike flipping a light switch"

Lena Wiik, Head Chef at Leir

With that mindset, Lena Wiik and the team at Leir, Carotte, have taken their food waste efforts to the next level. In just one quarter, they reduced plate waste from 123 grams to 85 grams per guest through teamwork, smart routines, and a strong commitment to sustainability. Now they want to inspire others to take the same journey.

Hi Lena! Tell us, how did you get in touch with Generation Waste, and what made you decide to implement our tool? 

When I started at Carotte, Generation Waste was already in place, which made it easy to get going. All the equipment and some routines were already set up we had the scale, the tablet, and the workflow. For me, it was a no-brainer to continue using the tool. I’ve followed Generation Waste since the beginning and have seen the impact it’s had in the industry I've always found it inspiring.

How was the start for your team?

We were a brand-new team. David, who I launched the kitchen with, had previous experience with Generation Waste from Arken and knew the tool well. One challenge at first was that food was sometimes thrown into the wrong bins or napkins ended up in the wrong place, but we solved that with clear communication and new routines. Now, it’s as natural as flipping on the lights.

How has it worked in practice? We’ve divided the responsibility: the front desk handles their own waste weighing, the kitchen measures kitchen and serving waste, and the service staff is in charge of plate waste. Tomas from the service team always weighs the plate waste and reports the numbers to me directly. It’s become like a sport to keep waste down, and we compare the results week to week.

Have you seen any concrete results? Between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, we reduced food waste from 123 grams to 85 grams per guest a fantastic improvement that the whole team is proud of. We notice immediately if something stands out. For example, if guests are throwing away a lot of salad because they’ve taken too much from the buffet, we respond right away like putting up friendly reminder signs.

How do you communicate your work to guests? We use signs in the restaurant, encourage guests to take a second helping if needed, and explain why we’re so careful about food waste. Guests are generally positive we’ve never received any negative feedback.

What does circular economy mean to you in practice? We actively work with upcycling: leftover food becomes part of the next day’s climate-smart dish. Out of lime yogurt? We blend something new with what we have. We even have a grilled sandwich on the menu made entirely from leftovers—really nice ones, I should add, like red wine-braised beef chuck.

What do you do with surplus food? If we have food left over, we contact a nonprofit partner who supports Ukrainian refugees. She picks up the food directly from us and makes sure it gets to those who need it most. It feels both meaningful and natural food should never go to waste. Sometimes we also use the Karma app to reduce waste even further.

How has working with Generation Waste impacted your operation? It has improved both our kitchen’s economics and our work environment. Everyone is aware and engaged. We review the numbers weekly and adjust as needed. There’s a clear shift in mindset.

What advice do you have for other businesses looking to reduce food waste? Start simple and make it a natural routine. Treat it like an internal competition. For it to work, everyone has to be on board and you need one passionate person to lead the way. With the right tools, it’s easy.

What’s your next step? Now that we have a good handle on our own numbers at Leir, we want to challenge our colleagues at other Carotte locations. Once they’re on board, it’s time to set new goals. It’ll be a fun way to spread engagement and inspiration throughout the organization.