While Luxembourg generated 116kg of food waste per capita in 2023, it outperformed its neighbours in Germany, Belgium, and France, where residents discarded significantly more, according to new Eurostat figures.

In 2023, European households and businesses discarded over 58 million tonnes of food waste, equating to 130kg per person, according to data from Eurostat. While Luxembourg residents generated less waste than the European average, significant disparities exist across member states.

The newly released figures reveal that households are the primary source of food waste, responsible for 53% of the total, or 69kg per person. The remaining 47% originates from the supply chain: 18% from food and drink manufacturers (24kg), 11% from restaurants and food services (14kg), 9% from primary production (12kg), and 8% from retail (10kg).

Significant disparities between member states

The data highlights a considerable gap in food waste generation across Europe. Cyprus (286kg per person) recorded the highest volume, closely followed by Denmark (261kg). In contrast, Spain (65kg) and Slovenia (78kg) were the Union's most efficient nations.

Luxembourg performed better than the EU average, with 116kg of food waste per resident, amounting to over 77,000 tonnes nationally. However, its direct neighbours showed higher figures: Germany (131kg), France (142kg), and Belgium (146kg) all exceeded the European mean.

EU sets binding reduction targets

In response to the issue, the European Parliament formally adopted a new law in September. The regulation sets binding targets for member states to be achieved by 2030. Nations must reduce food waste in retail, food services, and households by 30%, and waste from processing and manufacturing by 10%, using the 2020–2022 average as a baseline.