Food waste in the EU remains at a high level

The extent of food waste in the European Union remains at a consistently high level. As the statistics office Eurostat announced, 129 kilograms of food per person ended up in the trash in the EU in 2024 - but this also includes inedible parts.

According to the information, the EU generated a total of 57.9 million tons of corresponding waste - a slight increase of 0.7 percent compared to the previous year. According to statistics, household waste accounts for more than half of all food waste at 53 percent, with a further twelve percent coming from restaurants and food service providers.

The remaining 35 percent occurs in earlier stages of the supply chain, primarily during manufacturing.

Waste in Germany too

The value for Germany has largely corresponded to the EU average for years. Only recently did the Federal Ministry of Food declare: “Too much food continues to end up in the trash.” The ministry referred to a national strategy to reduce food waste adopted in 2019.

The focus is on voluntary, structured cooperation instead of coercion and bans. It was said that punishments were fundamentally not the right antidote.

New EU waste framework directive

In addition, a new EU waste framework directive means that mandatory reduction targets for food waste will apply across Europe in the future.

The target for processing and manufacturing is a ten percent reduction in waste by 2030. The goal is to achieve a “total reduction of 30 percent per capita” for retail, out-of-home catering and households.