€1,000 per person lost as Cyprus grapples with food waste dilemma

According to the recently released socio-economic impact report by the FOODprint campaign, households in Cyprus generate nearly 48,000 tonnes of food waste annually. The data reveals that each household produces about 2.5kg of food waste per week, resulting in a staggering total of 47,746.24 tonnes per year. Researchers estimate the economic cost of food waste per inhabitant at €1,000 annually.

Adding to the problem, commercial activities in catering and restaurants contribute to an additional 110,504 tonnes of food waste each year.

However, the report offers hope for change, stating that if 100,000 citizens adopt a zero-waste attitude, it could reduce annual waste generation by 17,237 tonnes.

Environmental concerns are highlighted, with landfill disposal of food waste estimated to produce 119,786,064 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The report indicates that using biogas plants for food waste disposal could significantly cut emissions, reducing 131,555,001.14 kg of GHG emissions per year and generating a potential energy production of 13,791,828.59 kWh/year.

The report points out that globally, one-third of food production goes to waste, and Cyprus ranks third among EU countries in this regard. To address the issue, the LIFE FOODPRINT project aims to raise awareness and foster cooperation between stakeholders.

Raising public awareness is deemed critical, as it can lead to waste reduction and bring about significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. The report emphasizes the need for future campaigns to address the issue of overconsumption.

So far, the project has successfully raised awareness among 804,445 citizens, highlighting the urgency to tackle the alarming food waste levels in Cyprus.