151 kg of food waste generated every second in Poland — RMF24

About 151 kilograms of food waste are generated every second in Poland — more than 9 tonnes per minute and around 13,000 tonnes daily across the entire food supply chain. More than half of this volume comes from households: approximately 82 kilograms per second, nearly 5 tonnes per minute and more than 7,000 tonnes per day, RMF24 reports.

Most waste is generated at home

According to data from Poland's Institute of Environmental Protection — National Research Institute, submitted to the European Commission, around 4.76 million tonnes of food waste are generated in the country each year. Of this amount, more than 2.57 million tonnes come from Polish households.

At other stages of the supply chain, the largest volumes of waste are recorded in primary production — approximately 795,000 tonnes per year. Processing and manufacturing generate around 579,000 tonnes, retail trade and distribution approximately 491,000 tonnes, and restaurants and food service establishments about 322,000 tonnes.

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The situation in the European Union

According to Eurostat data for 2024, 57.9 million tonnes of food waste were generated in EU countries, or an average of 129 kilograms per person per year. Households accounted for 53% of this volume — 31 million tonnes, or 69 kilograms per person.

The article notes that food waste also has environmental consequences. According to an estimate by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the water footprint of food that was not consumed amounts to 250 cubic kilometres per year, while nearly 1.4 billion hectares of agricultural land are used for its production. The UN Environment Programme estimates that food waste contributes 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Experts from Poland's Institute of Environmental Protection advise planning purchases, storing products properly and using food already at home to reduce losses.