Food waste

Food waste is any food that has become waste under the condition that (1) it has entered the food supply chain, (2) it has been removed or discarded from the food supply chain or at the final consumption stage, and (3) it is finally destined to be processed as waste. In this context food (or ‘foodstuff’) means any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans.

Specific waste streams

Depending on its origin the food waste can be divided into different groups. The following non-exhaustive list shows the potential main groups. The decision support tool aids the search for suitable conversion technologies capable to process these streams into chemicals, energy and fuels, food ingredients, and materials.

• 2G sugar
  • 2G sugar – food
  • 2G sugar – industrial
• Food related sidestreams
  • Chitin
  • Coffee ground
  • Food waste
  • Fruit waste
  • Green peas
  • Marine waste
  • Mushrooms
  • Potato peel
  • Starch
  • Vegetable waste
• Industrial sidestreams
  • Glycerol
  • Paper & cardboard
  • Plastic waste
  • Process waters
• Oils & derivatives
  • Fatty acids
  • Fatty alcohols
  • Oils
  • Used cooking oil
  • Vegetable oils
• Other feedstock
  • Formic acid
  • HMF
  • Municipal solid waste
  • Small organic molecules

Occurrence and treatment

Food waste generated (anually theoretical potential)

Area	Food waste generated [kg/capita]	Food waste collected [kg/capita]
EU-27+	116.7	18.8
Austria	118.5	22.8
Belgium	105.7	16.4
Bulgaria	80.2	-
Croatia	84.4	1.5
Cyprus	79.8	3.8
Czechia	93.7	9.1
Denmark	103.5	22.6
Estonia	111.8	3.3
Finland	102.0	15.3
France	122.3	25.7
Germany	94.4	25.0
Greece	142.7	6.1
Hungary	110.0	5.5
Ireland	118.2	9.4
Italy	127.7	60.6
Lativa	107.4	4.5
Lithuania	121.4	6.9
Luxembourg	118.4	15.9
Malta	55.9	4.7
Netherlands	111.8	17.0
Norway	78.8	35.2
Poland	112.0	5.4
Portugal	127.2	2.2
Romania	127.7	3.6
Slovakia	84.4	7.9
Slovenia	108.4	14.6
Spain	144.0	3.7
Sweden	105.7	14.5
UK	118.21	14.9