Statistical Research on Food Waste

Bio-waste means biodegradable garden and park waste, food and kitchen waste from households, restaurants, caterers and retail premises and comparable waste from food processing plants. Average annual amount of biowaste in the Republic of Croatia is approximately 600,000 tonns and so it makes a significant part in total amount of biodegradable waste.

Landfilling of unprocessed biodegradable waste has huge negative effects on the environment like greenhouse gas emissions and polluting surface waters, underground waters, soil and air. As one of the most challenging goals in waste management is reduction of landfilling the biodegradable municipal waste, it is necessary to intensify activities directed to reduction of generation and landfilling of its most represented fraction, the bio-waste. Furthermore, as more than 70% of the total amount of bio-waste is food waste which big part is possible to avoid, it is reasonable to direct aforementioned activities primarily to reduction of generation of food waste, especially the avoidable part. 

Amended Waste framework Directive (Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste) aiming for reduction of generation of food waste and in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, obliges Member States to take measures to promote prevention and reduction of food waste. Member States should measure progress made in the reduction of food waste and reporting on food waste levels should take place on an annual basis.

In order to monitor and compare food waste levels among Memmber States, European Commission established common methodology and set out minimum quality requirements for the uniform measurement of levels of food waste on the basis of the outcome of the work of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste. The methodology is prescribed by Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597 of 3 May 2019 supplementing Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regardsa common methodology and minimum quality requirements for the uniform measurement of levels of food waste and Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/2000 of 28 November 2019 laying down a format for reporting of data on food waste and for submission of the quality check report in accordance with Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.

According to obligations set by aforementioned acts, every Member State should carry out a statistical research on the amounts of food waste levels along production and supply chains including households. This project is aimed to fulfill the prescribed obligations.

Therefore, results gained by this project will be primarily used to report data to European Commission but also to ensure information on food waste for general public.