EU food waste totaled 59.2 million tonnes in 2022, new data shows

A total of 59.2 million tonnes of food waste was generated in the European Union in 2022, equating to around 132 kilograms per person, new data has shown.

According to the Eurostat data, household waste accounted for 54% of all food waste generated, or around 72 kilograms per person.

The remaining 46% came from other parts of the food supply chain: 19% from food and beverage manufacturing (25 kg per person), 11% from restaurants and food services (15 kg per person), 8% from retail and distribution (11 kg per person), and 8% from primary production (10 kg per person).

This data is based on the food waste reporting obligation outlined in the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC). It categorises waste by sector of activity, following the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE rev. 2), as well as by household contributions.

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

The data was released to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2024, which takes place on 29 September this year.

According to the UN, approximately 13.2% of food produced globally is lost between harvest and retail, while around 19% of total global food production is wasted across households, food service, and retail.

Food loss and waste contribute to between 8% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant methane hotspot. Households alone waste over 1 billion meals of edible food daily, which equates to 1.3 meals per day for every person suffering from hunger.

The UN also notes that opportunities to finance food loss and waste reduction, along with promoting low-carbon diets, remain largely unexplored. In 2019/20, only $0.1 billion was invested annually toward these efforts, a fraction of the estimated $48 billion to $50 billion needed each year.