Towards zero food waste
For this year’s International Day of Zero Waste, the focus is on food – what we eat, what we waste, and how we can move towards a more circular future.
The world wastes food on a staggering scale. Every year we throw away of edible food, nearly one-fifth of all food available to consumers. This impacts both people and the environment.
of food waste happens at the household level. The rest comes mostly from food service and retail, the result of inefficient food systems – including production, distribution and consumption. Tackling this issue requires redesigning these systems, transitioning towards a more sustainable, circular approach grounded in efficiency, resilience and sustainability.
For this transition to succeed, we all have a role to play.
Governments – both national and local – can integrate food waste prevention into zero-waste, climate and biodiversity strategies. They can set targets aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 12.3 and 11.6, strengthen data and education systems, and invest in infrastructure and partnerships that support circular food systems.
The private sector can begin measuring food loss and waste, and taking steps to reduce it. This includes improving public food waste reporting, supply chain efficiency, redesigning products and retail practices, and redistributing surplus food through transparent and fair circular business models.
Consumers can plan their meals, shop mindfully, store food properly and make full use of the food they buy by sharing it with neighbors, reusing leftovers and composting unavoidable organic waste.
A zero-waste future is possible when we all work together – do your part by consuming thoughtfully, recovering surplus food, and working to build circular food systems. Let’s ensure our food is valued, not wasted.
Background
On 14 December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a at its seventy-seventh session to proclaim 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually. Türkiye, with 105 other countries, put forward the resolution, following other high-level decisions focused on pollution, such as the UN Environment Assembly resolution “”.
The (UNEP) and the (UN-Habitat) jointly facilitate the observance of International Day of Zero Waste.
As part of this campaign, Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector, academia, women, youth and other stakeholders are invited to engage in activities aimed at raising awareness of national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development.
Promoting zero-waste initiatives through this international day can help advance all the goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including and . These goals address all forms of waste, including food loss and waste, natural resource extraction and electronic waste.
Did you know?
- If packed into standard shipping containers placed end-to-end, the total amount of municipal solid waste we generate each year would be enough to wrap around the globe 25 times.
- Our increasing use of resources is the main driver of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution.
- Without urgent action, municipal solid waste generation will balloon to 3.8 billion tons annually by 2050.
- Most food waste happens within households (60%), followed by food service (28%) and retail (12%).
- Food loss and waste generate 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, nearly five times the emissions from the aviation industry.
Source: UNEP and UN-Habitat
Get involved
- Learn more about
- your Zero Waste activities and events
- Participate in the campaign by using social media cards and videos from the
- Join the conversation on social media using #ZeroWasteDay and #BeatWastePollution.
