Facts and figures

We’re facing a huge challenge of reducing food waste. All the food that is grown, transported, processed and packaged uses energy, raw materials or water and therefore burdens the environment. It also costs money. Every year all households in the Netherlands throw away a total of 800 million kilo’s of food. In monetary terms this amounts to a value of around €2.5 million worth of thrown away food.

The consumer, relatively speaking, is the biggest waster in the whole supply chain. Together with the ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the ministry of Economic Affairs has requested that further insight is gained into the scale of waste amongst consumers. The research has in the meantime been carried out for the second time by CREM. The results form the basis for “Facts and figures about the wasting of food by consumers”. These results are also included in Monitor Voedselverspilling.

In 2011 16,655,799 people lived in the Netherlands, where the food waste level per capita was between 89 and 210 kg. This refers to food waste in the whole supply chain recalculated to yearly waste per person (capita). The food waste level in 2011 for avoidable secondary resources lies between 1,197 and 2,149 Kton. The potentially avoidable flow lies between 725 and 1,333 Kton. In order to reduce food waste by 20%, between 276 and 511 Kton less needs to be wasted annually. This is 17-31 kg pro capita.