According to UN data, around 60% of food waste occurs at the household level. The remaining 40% comes from restaurants and stores, indicating the inefficiency of existing food systems encompassing production, distribution, and consumption.
To address this issue, it is necessary to rethink these systems and transition to more sustainable and circular models focused on efficiency, sustainability, and eco-friendliness.
Every year on March 30, the International Day for a World Without Waste is celebrated. The resolution adopted in 2022 was initiated by Turkey, which collaborated with 105 other countries.
In 2026, the focus of the International Day for a World Without Waste will be on food — on what we eat, what we throw away, and how to move towards a circular economy.
To tackle the problem, governments at both national and local levels can incorporate strategies to reduce food waste into their climate and biodiversity programs.
The private sector can also begin to assess losses and take measures to reduce them. This may include:
- improving food waste accounting;
- optimizing supply chains;
- redesigning retail networks;
- redistributing surplus food through transparent and circular business models.
Consumers can improve their meal planning, make conscious purchases, store food properly, and make the most of the products they buy by sharing with neighbors, reusing leftovers, and composting unavoidable organic waste.
