Italy is among the most wasteful and polluting countries in Europe . This is what we read in the Eurostat World Food Waste Report.
In 2020, around 127 kilograms of food per inhabitant were wasted in the EU. Families generated 55% of food waste, equal to 70 kg per inhabitant . The remaining 45% is made up of waste generated in the food chain.
In this case, Italy is worse than the EU average : 146 kilos of food that end up in the dustbin (107 for families) . At the top of the waste Cyprus with almost 400 kg, but only 70 for each inhabitant. "The fight against consumer food waste - explains Eurostat - remains a challenge both in the EU and worldwide".
"The increase in prices and concerns about our environmental footprint - continues Eurostat - make us all aware of the need to use the resources we have efficiently, minimizing waste. A simple way would be to raise awareness on the annual quantity. of food waste that we produce. Food waste in particular has a high environmental and climatic impact, as it constitutes an additional source of greenhouse gas emissions ".
Food waste therefore significantly affects pollution and is also a waste of energy: that "hidden" in the food thrown into Italian homes, according to calculations updated to 2022, is worth 6.4 billion, and was 4 billion euros in 2021 . Domestic food waste accounts for almost double the food waste deriving from the primary production and food and beverage manufacturing sectors (14 kg and 23 kg per inhabitant; 11% and 18%, respectively), sectors in which strategies exist for reduce food waste, for example by using waste parts as by-products.
Restaurants and catering services accounted for 12 kg of food waste per person (9%), while retail and other food distributions were the sector with the least amount of food waste (9 kg; 7%); however, the impact of covid lockdowns on these two sectors is still being analyzed.
(Unioneonline / D)
