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Food waste quantities and composition in Polish households
Jan den Boer1, Przemysław Kobel2, Emilia den Boer3
1Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
Summary
Household food waste in Poland is substantial, with over 61 kg per person annually. Most food waste, particularly avoidable types like bread and vegetables, ends up in residual waste streams, indicating low segregation rates.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management
- Consumer Behavior
Background:
- Global food waste exceeds one-third of production, with significant consumer-level losses.
- Waste sorting analysis offers more accurate data than self-reporting methods.
- Detailed household food waste data for Poland is currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify household food waste generation in Opole, Poland.
- To analyze the composition of avoidable and non-avoidable food waste.
- To assess the effectiveness of current food waste segregation in the study area.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a food waste generation study in Opole, Poland.
- Analyzed residual and biowaste from 1425 citizens across three city areas.
- Performed five seasonal waste sorting campaigns, categorizing food waste into 16 avoidable and 4 non-avoidable fractions.
Main Results:
- Overall food waste generation in Opole is 61.7 kg/person/year, with 79.9 kg/person/year when including alternative disposal routes.
- Higher amounts of both avoidable and non-avoidable food waste were found in residual waste (42.8 kg/person/year) compared to biowaste (19 kg/person/year).
- The total food waste segregation level is only 31%.
- Key avoidable food waste fractions in mixed waste include bread (23.9%), vegetables (23.3%), and meat (15.1%).
- In biowaste, the primary food waste categories are fruits (35.5%), other vegetables (27.9%), and meal leftovers (13.6%).
Conclusions:
- Household food waste in Opole is significant, with a substantial portion ending up in residual waste streams.
- Current food waste segregation practices are insufficient, highlighting a need for improved waste management strategies.
- Targeted interventions focusing on the primary avoidable waste categories (bread, vegetables, meat, fruits) could reduce overall food waste.
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