Luxembourg is one of the cleanest countries in the EU
Ella Olsson, Unsplash
EU citizens throw away almost 60 million tonnes of food every year and authorities aim to reduce this figure by 2030.
According to the latest Eurostat data, the average EU resident produces 132 kilograms of food waste per year, totalling 59.2 million tonnes across the Union. Households account for the largest share of food waste (54%), with the remaining 46% generated in supply chains.
Cyprus and Denmark lead among EU countries in terms of food waste: 294 kilogrammes per inhabitant in Cyprus and 254 kilogrammes per inhabitant in Denmark. In third place comes Portugal with 185 kilogrammes. The main reasons are impulse buying, poor planning and underestimation of the importance of food, as well as a lack of understanding of the labelling of food shelf life.
Luxembourg, with its 122 kilograms per year, is below the EU average. Slovenia and Croatia are the undisputed leaders in food conservation with 71 and 72 kilograms per person per year. Hungary is in third place with 84 kilogrammes.
