The European Parliament has given its approval to new binding targets to prevent and reduce food waste across the EU, a move that “marks an important milestone”, according to David Gudgeon, head of external affairs at Reconomy Connect.
Gudgeon was commenting following the Parliament giving the green light to 2030 food waste reduction targets set at 10% from food processing and manufacturing and 30% per capita from retail, restaurants, foodservice and households.
These targets will be calculated with regard to the amount of food waste generated, as an annual average, between 2021 and 2023. Once the new legislation is published in the official EU Journal, member states will have 20 months to transpose it into national legislation.
‘Binding reduction targets’
“Almost 60 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the EU – the equivalent of 132kg per person – so the introduction of binding reduction targets marks an important milestone,” Gudgeon commented. “It is encouraging that this baseline captures a broad, post-COVID data range, ensuring the targets reflect normal trading conditions.
“Meeting these ambitious targets will be demanding, but they signal a decisive shift away from a throwaway culture and the needless loss of resource-intensive food production. Reducing waste across the entire food value chain offers significant climate benefits, conserving land, water, energy, and carbon otherwise lost through inefficiency.”
In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a revision of the EU rules on food and textile waste, and increased investment in circularity, which has led to the implementation of the new legislation.
A full rethink
As Gudgeon noted, implementing circularity into food systems means “rethinking the full lifecycle of production and consumption. This ruling sends a clear signal that Europe is ready to move beyond wasteful practices – opening opportunities for collaboration between producers, retailers, charities, and innovators to design a more resilient, resource-efficient food system.”
He encouraged businesses to “get ahead” by embracing circular methods such as better waste tracking, smarter processes, and circular infrastructure.
“This will not only support compliance in the EU but also unlock cost savings and efficiency gains and keep businesses agile to any similar regulatory changes in the UK,” he said.
While the UK currently has no binding food waste targets, it aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for halving per capita food waste by 2030. Read more here and here.
