Filenews 2 August 2023
Almost 48,000 tonnes of food waste are generated by households in Cyprus, according to the socio-economic impact report of the FOODprint campaign.
Specifically, according to the project's data, almost 2.5 kg of food waste is generated every week per household, leading to an annual quantity equal to 47,746.24 tons. The economic cost of food waste per capita and year was estimated by the researchers at €1,000.
In addition, commercial activities (catering and restaurants) contribute to the generation of 110,504 tonnes of food waste per year.
According to the report, the adoption of zero-waste attitudes by 100,000 citizens would mean a reduction in waste generated by 17,237 tons per year.
Furthermore, the report states that emissions from the disposal of food waste in landfills are estimated at 119,786,064 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per year. If the quantities of food waste are disposed of in biogas plants, there can be a reduction in emissions of 131,555,001.14 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per year, with an energy production capacity of 13,791,828.59 kWh/year.
Globally, a third of food production is wasted and Cyprus is third in the EU in the quantities of food wasted, the report said. The LIFE FOODPRINT project aimed to inform, raise awareness and strengthen cooperation between stakeholders on this issue.
The report states that raising awareness of the issue is crucial, leading to reduced waste and environmental, economic and social benefits. It also suggests that future campaigns focus on the issue of overconsumption.
The project contributed to raising awareness of 804,445 citizens around the issue.
CNA
