40% of the food Croatian households discard is edible

Citizens cite purchasing and cooking more food than necessary as the reason for this

On 4 January, the Croatian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development revealed the findings of a survey carried out in 2021 on food waste in the country. Carrying out its research according to the EU’s new methodology for monitoring food waste, the ministry surveyed over 1,000 households as well as the business sector and family farms.

Stark findings

In a press release, the government shared that households in the EU generate 53% of the total food waste. In Croatia, this percentage is significantly higher, with a whopping 76% of food waste being produced by households. 

Taking this further, 60% of this waste consists of inedible parts of food such as bones, eggshells, citrus peels, and others. It follows then that edible food accounts for 40% of the waste, with households mostly throwing away meat followed by fruits, vegetables, and potatoes. 

Searching for the reasons behind these high percentages, the government found that more than half of Croatia’s households throw away food after purchasing or preparing more than they needed. 

Individuals must put in more effort

Together, households and the business sector generate 286,379 tons of food waste annually or 71 kilograms per capita. With such large numbers, it is evident that everyone needs to increase their efforts to reduce the food waste they produce. 

Echoing this point, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Ćorić shared that everyone must do more to reduce the amount of food they discard and help realise the national and global goals of achieving climate neutrality. 

The government will now use its findings to report to the European Commission, inform professionals and the public about the generation of food waste, and – most importantly – implement measures that will help prevent food waste in Croatia.