Food waste in Austria at consumer and retail level
Globally, ≈ 1/3 of food is wasted – 14 % from harvest to retail (worth ≈USD 400 billion), 17 % at the retail and consumer levels. Fruits and vegetables have the highest share (32 %), followed by animal products (≈ 13 %). On average, a person produces 74 kg of food waste / year. Food loss and waste account for 8–10 % of the world's GHG emissions. Figures vary based on region and the group considered. Let's examine Austria's consumer and retail data:
Consumer level
Austrian households generate about 133 kg of avoidable food waste / year, valued at € 250–800. The main contributors are bread, sweets, and pastries (28 %), followed by fruits and vegetables (27 %), and diverse animal products (23 %). In Vienna, the daily discarded bread equals the daily consumption of Austria’s second-largest city, Graz.
Retail
An amendment to the Austrian Waste Management Act obligates large food retailers to report quarterly on discarded and donated food. 328 reports (from ≈ 4,000 outlets) indicated ≈14,460 t waste and ≈5,030 t donations in the last quarter of 2023. The average waste per large chain branch amounts to 500–4,500 kg/quarter. Fruits and vegetables make up 44.96 %, followed by baked goods at 19.42 %.
Practical tip: Caritas Vienna, also a ToNoWaste project partner, processes food donations as part of the "Le+O – Sustainable support for households affected by poverty" initiative – you can volunteer there.
TOWARDS A NEW ZERO FOOD WASTE MINDSET BASED ON HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT
Ongoing | 2022-2027
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Greece