Làm thử Đề thi thử tốt nghiệp THPT · Tiếng Anh · Đề 113

Question 14. a. Given this uncertainty, could you possibly suggest a few companies where I might apply for an internship?
b. Dear Ms. Tran, I am writing to ask for some advice about my career path.
c. Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
d. I have just graduated with a degree in marketing, but I am not sure which industry suits me best.
e. I would be extremely grateful for any guidance you can offer on this.

Question 15. a. This is why schools are starting to teach media literacy as a core skill.
b. A single misleading post can be shared thousands of times within minutes.
c. Social media has made it easier than ever for false information to spread.
d. With proper training, students can learn to check sources before believing what they read.
e. As a result, many young people now struggle to tell fact from fiction online.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Nowhere shows this shift more clearly than a district on the edge of a mid-sized European city, where a group of local artists began painting abandoned factory walls a decade ago. What started as an unofficial project soon drew photographers, then tourists, and eventually investors. Within a few years, cafes and small galleries had opened along streets that had previously stood empty for a generation. Property prices in the area have since risen sharply, and the local council now runs guided walking tours past the best-known murals.

Not everyone welcomes the change, however. Some residents argue that the artists who made the neighbourhood interesting can no longer afford to live there, since rents have climbed well beyond what most young creatives can pay. Others worry that street art loses its edge once it becomes official; a mural approved by a committee, they say, is simply not the same as one painted secretly at night. Supporters reply that legal walls give artists steady income and let more people enjoy the work safely, without the risk of arrest.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.

Restaurants around the world throw away far more food than most customers realise. Industry surveys suggest that a typical restaurant discards between four and ten percent of the food it buys before that food ever reaches a plate, and diners leave a further portion uneaten on the table. Multiplied across millions of restaurants, the result is a mountain of wasted food, wasted water, and wasted labour, all disappearing into landfill sites where it produces harmful greenhouse gases as it rots.

Several factors drive this waste. Kitchens routinely over-order ingredients to avoid running out during a busy service, and unpredictable customer numbers make it hard to judge exactly how much to prepare. Fixed portion sizes add to the problem: a set menu designed for an average appetite will always leave some diners with food they cannot finish. Suppliers, meanwhile, often reject fruit and vegetables that are perfectly edible but slightly misshapen, since many customers still expect their produce to look a certain way.

[I] Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are testing practical ways to cut this waste. [II] Some now offer flexible portion sizes, letting diners choose a smaller plate at a lower price rather than forcing everyone into the same serving. [III] Others have started buying so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables directly from farms, turning ingredients that supermarkets would reject into soups, sauces, and daily specials. [IV] A number of chains have also begun using simple tracking software that records exactly what gets thrown away each night, which helps kitchen staff spot patterns and adjust their ordering.

One well-known fast-food chain offers a clear example of how much of a difference these changes can make. After installing tracking software in its kitchens two years ago, the chain found that a single item, a bread roll that staff had been throwing away whenever it looked slightly uneven, accounted for a surprisingly large share of its total waste. Once kitchen staff were shown exactly how much money that single habit was costing every month, they quickly agreed to serve the imperfect rolls instead of discarding them. Within six months, waste from that one item alone had fallen by almost sixty percent, saving the chain a considerable sum each year.

None of these measures alone will solve the problem of restaurant food waste, but together they suggest that change is possible without demanding a great sacrifice from either restaurants or customers. Some governments are now considering rules that would require large restaurant chains to report how much food they waste each year, following the example of a small number of countries that already do so. Whether or not such rules spread further, the restaurants already tracking and cutting their own waste have shown that the problem, while enormous, is far from impossible to manage.