PurposeThe aim of the paper is to present how sustainability as a concept supports the use of locally‐sourced food in public catering, and the issues that arise from that policy objective and their implications for suppliers and purchasers.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the paper explains the characteristics of local food chains and the concept of sustainability based on a literature review. It then outlines the stages of the food procurement process in public food catering in Finland, focussing on the delivery of potatoes from a local producer to a public caterer providing school meals. The case study identifies the dimensions of sustainability.FindingsFirst, the criteria defining sustainability remain unclear. Second, to overcome the cost disadvantages brought about by its small‐scale production and high delivery costs, locally‐sourced food should add some extra value. Short food supply chains have advantages over long ones, however, they are not sustainable per se.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is descriptive in nature and rests on action research implemented during 2004‐2007. The study does not provide any quantitative analysis nor can it be statistically generalised.Practical implicationsMeasuring the impact of sustainability in a public tendering process remains challenging, as an unambiguous definition of sustainability criteria is lacking. Further, sustainable procurement practices would improve collaborative relationships.Originality/valueThis paper complements the current discussion on sustainability and local food. Provision of free school meals is now a rare phenomenon, and has recently stirred widespread interest. Finland's continuing commitment to providing free school meals thus provides a very specific context in which to study the problems of food sourcing in the public sector.

Electronic devices and mobile applications have become a part of everyday life. Fast technological progress and rapid product obsolescence have led to the rapid growth of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Due to hazardous substances and also substantial amounts of valuable materials contained in electrical and electronic equipment, the European Union has implemented Directives related to WEEE, in order to reduce negative environmental and health impacts and to improve material recovery of valuable substances from WEEE. This paper provides an overview of the WEEE Directive and its implementation to national legislations in Finland, Sweden, and Norway and, further, describes how the nationwide WEEE recovery infrastructures in the Nordic countries have been built. The Nordic WEEE management systems are evaluated from the point of resource efficiency and best practices. Evidently, the WEEE management systems as established in the Nordic countries have advantages because the WEEE collection rates in 2012 were 12 kg/inhab./year, in Finland, 16 kg/inhab./year, in Sweden, and 27 kg/ inhab./year, in Norway, despite their sparsely populated nature. The Swedish and Norwegian experiences, especially, with long history of WEEE recovery indicate that increasing consumer awareness leads to more environmentally sound behaviour and improves recovery efficiency.

Purpose This paper examines the role of export intermediaries in the internationalization of small and medium sized companies in Finland. The empirical study focuses on small Finnish food companies that export to German and Chinese markets. Design/methodology/approach The research method of this study is qualitative. Data is collected through semi-structured interviews with six respondents presenting exporting companies and export consultants. Findings The paper provides an empirical contribution to the food internationalization debate. First, the paper discusses the definitions of export intermediaries and their role in export based on the literature. Second, by examining how Finnish food companies experience the role of export intermediaries, the paper contributes to the current discussion on internationalization modes. The empirical results highlight that export companies need transaction-creating services from intermediaries especially when entering physically and culturally distant markets like China. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the research generally relate to the use of a small case sample. Practical implications The paper holds a number of relevant insights for food companies seeking to enter to German and Chinese markets. Identifying the export services needed by small food companies might help export intermediaries and public policy agencies to better focus their supporting initiatives. Originality/value The findings add to the current body of knowledge on the key influence on internationalization modes within the food sector.

Further to the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, setting up efficient collection schemes is necessary to ensure the recovery targets set. Following the subsidiary principle, the WEEE Directive defines only the general requirements for mandatory collection and recycling objectives. The modalities of the logistics and the organisation of the take-back schemes are left to the choice of Member States. In this paper, the implementation of the WEEE Directive and the development of the WEEE recovery infrastructure in Finland are described and the challenges to the effective management of the WEEE recovery system in Finland are expressed. It can be said that the implementation of the WEEE Directive has succeeded in Finland and, at the same time, the legislative basis has been enacted. In addition, a functional WEEE recovery infrastructure has been built and, the collection requirements of the WEEE Directive have been exceeded in a relatively short time. However, the paper outlines that some inefficient practices still exist, particularly in the registration and collection stages. It is concluded that raising awareness would lead to a more environmentally sound behaviour and would, ultimately, improve WEEE recovery efficiency.

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