Irish households among the biggest food wasters in Europe, new figures show

Tue, 03 Oct, 2023 - 15:00

Pádraig Hoare, Environment Correspondent

Ireland remains one of the biggest wasters in the EU when it comes to food, with households the predominant culprit across the bloc.

Latest figures from the European Commission's data analysis wing Eurostat show homes generate more than half of food waste in the bloc, far more than producers and manufacturers, restaurants, and retailers.

Eurostat said in 2021, the second year of the covid-19 pandemic, about 131kg of food waste per person was generated in the EU. Households generated 54% of food waste, accounting for 70kg per person, it added.

In Ireland, it was a different story, with households contributing nearly 221,000 tonnes of food waste, or about 29%, compared to more than 215,500 tonnes of food waste generated by processing and manufacturing.

Restaurants and food outlets generated about 189,000 tonnes of food waste in Ireland, with retail contributing to 75,000 tonnes, while more than 52,500 was generated in the primary production phase.

Ireland was the seventh biggest offender of the member states, behind Cyprus, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, and Malta.

At EU level, the total food waste measured in 2021 was above 58 million tonnes.

In addition to the 54% of waste generated by households, some 21% was attributed to manufacturing, 9% to restaurants, 9% to primary production, and 7% to retail, Eurostat said.

The data is most likely skewed due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic when much of Europe was under lockdown, including more stringent measures in Ireland.

Restaurants and bars were mostly hampered from trading throughout much of the year, affecting the final percentages of waste generated in Ireland and the rest of the EU.

Impact of lockdowns

The impact of the lockdowns on food sectors was still being analysed, Eurostat said.

Nevertheless, it shows the scale of the challenge facing lawmakers, business, and households alike in grappling with how to deal with food waste.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food waste is a significant contributor to climate change, as food loss and waste contribute to 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA's figures show the 221,000 tonnes of food waste in Ireland is equal to about 120kg of food waste per household, or 44kg per person — about half the weight of a full brown bin.

Food waste costs the average Irish household about €60 a month or €700 a year, or an annual national cost of €1.29bn, the EPA adds.

Emissions from food waste in the EU are far higher than the global average, according to the European Commission, accounting for about 16% of the total.

The commission has set legally binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved by member states by 2030, including by 30% per person.

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