Average household in Flanders wastes almost 22kg of food a year, survey shows
The average household in Flanders throws away about 508 euros worth of edible food every year, a study by waste processing agency OVAM shows. The agency is launching a campaign to teach people how to use leftovers and prevent food waste.
An average Flemish household spends 6,355 euros on groceries every year with up to 8 per cent of that ending up being thrown away, equivalent to some 21.84kg. The food that is wasted is not banana skins or potato peelings, but edible leftovers.
“If you do have to throw food away, this lost food can still be put to valuable use with organic waste collection or home composting,” OVAM said in a press release. “However, because households still do not sufficiently sort food waste, discarded food is not recovered and valorised. After all, what ends up in the residual waste bag also ends up in the incinerator.”
"Creativity in the kitchen means appreciating every ingredient, even the smallest leftovers"
OVAM is launching a campaign ahead of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on Sunday. Using an AI chatbot, people can ask for a recipe using what is left in their fridge. Anyone who generates a recipe using the platform has a chance to win an exclusive leftover dinner cooked by three-star chef Tim Boury.
“Creativity in the kitchen means appreciating every ingredient, even the smallest leftovers,” said Boury. “That’s why I was keen to do my bit for the campaign.”
The website also features tips for students or businesses to waste less food or dispose of any surplus through a platform such as Too Good To Go.
European statistics office Eurostat also looked into food waste. They calculated that the average European threw away 72kg of food in 2022. This includes non-edible waste as well as edible food.
According to the same calculation method, Flemish households threw away an average of 52.3kg of food. "By European standards, we are doing quite well," said OVAM spokesperson Jan Verheyen. "But we want to give the message not to throw away edible food."
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO IMAGEBROKER
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