This is how the EU wants to prevent Europeans from throwing away 132 kg of food per year.

BrusselsEach EU citizen generates 132 kg of food waste and throws away 12 kg of clothing and footwear each year. The European bloc wants to address this, and the European Parliament ratified this Tuesday. Community legislation which aims to reduce the number of kilograms of wasted food and textiles. We explain some of the highlights of this European Union directive.

Reduction targets

Each Member State will be required to meet mandatory targets. By law, by December 3, 2030, food production companies will have to reduce food waste by 10% at the latest; and retailers and restaurants (as well as households) will have to reduce it by 30%. These mandatory reductions will be calculated against the amount of food waste generated per citizen between 2021 and 2023.

Facilitate food donations

The directive also aims to impose more obligations and controls on businesses to minimize the amount of food they throw away. Among other things, the European Union wants all economic agents involved in the food chain to facilitate the donation of food that is no longer suitable for consumption and is still in good condition.

Businesses bear the cost.

Regarding the textile industry, the European Union also wants companies to assume the costs of their waste generation. Therefore, they must pay for the collection, sorting, and recycling of all products they don't sell and end up throwing away. Large companies, including those solely engaged in e-commerce from outside the European Union, will have 30 months to take responsibility. Small businesses will have a year to assume this responsibility.

Advice on implementing further measures

The European bloc is urging member states to implement more measures to ensure the private sector meets its obligations. According to the European Parliament, it is estimated that only around 1% of the waste generated by the textile industry is currently recycled.

Thus, the European Union will offer guidelines, advice, and the exchange of best practices to member states upon request and will encourage governments to implement prevention policies such as those already implemented in the Netherlands, France, and Germany. According to the European Union, some of these initiatives may include tax incentives or greater cooperation with NGOs to encourage food donations.

Next steps

The European Commission presented this proposal to reform the Waste Directive in July 2023 and negotiated and agreed upon it with the EU Council (the body representing the Member States) and the European Parliament. Both institutions have given the final approval, and it will be published in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming days. Member states will now have 20 months to transpose this regulatory change into their legislation for it to enter into force.