Facts about food waste to increase awareness.
Reducing food waste has been a hot topic in recent years. Not everyone is aware of the consequences, so involvement is low. We would like to share some tangible facts that you can use to communicate to your employees and guests.
Social impact 
- 821 million people live in hunger.
- 33.33% of food is wasted. That is enough to feed all the people who are living in hunger.
- Households in the Netherlands wasted between 1,814 and 2,509 kilotons of food in 2017. That is about the weight of 20 cruise ships.
Environmental impact 
- 45% of fruit and vegetable crops are wasted.
- 28% of agriculture is lost through wasted food.
- 400 kg of food waste equals the CO2 emissions of 2.6 flights from Amsterdam to Paris.
- If food waste were a country, it would generate the most greenhouse gas emissions after the United States and China.
- To absorb the CO2 emissions from 400 kg of food waste, 50 trees must grow for one year.
Best practice
- A law in France prohibits supermarkets from wasting food. Supermarkets are forced to donate food to charities and food banks. Supermarkets larger than 400 m2 that do not comply with the law are fined 3,750 euros.
We like to learn from practice and are, therefore, curious about your story. Do you have more tips or would you like to comment on the content of this article? Share your experience with us by sending an e-mail to support@orbisk.com
