On March 31, 2025, the European Environment Agency (EEA) released a report highlighting the urgent need for more effective national measures to combat food waste across the EU.

The report underscores that preventing food waste is essential for addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, as it helps reduce resource extraction and lowers carbon emissions.

Between 2010 and 2022, while total waste generation in the EU increased, it did so at a slower rate than economic growth, indicating a degree of decoupling between waste production and economic activity.

Current efforts by EU Member States to prevent food waste have primarily focused on monitoring and educational campaigns, but there is a notable lack of regulatory and market-based measures.

Although some reductions in food waste were noted during the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result of climate policies, the report emphasizes that targeted actions are still necessary for sustainable waste prevention.

Food waste is responsible for approximately 16% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the EU's food system, leading to significant economic losses estimated at €132 billion annually.

In 2022, EU citizens generated about 132 kilograms of food waste per person, amounting to over 59 million tonnes, which has considerable environmental and economic repercussions.

The EEA report advocates for better integration of waste prevention strategies within existing climate and biodiversity policies to effectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and resource waste.

The report emphasizes the importance of the 'food use hierarchy,' recommending that surplus food should be donated or repurposed instead of being recycled.

Looking ahead, the EU is expected to implement binding food waste reduction targets by 2030, aiming for a 10% reduction in food waste during processing and a 30% reduction per capita at retail and consumer levels.