Austrian Households Throw Away €100 Worth of Food Each Month, WWF Warns

The household waste is part of a much larger problem. Across Austria, more than 1.2 million tonnes of food are wasted every year, the WWF says. Private households account for approximately 685,000 tonnes of that total, while the remaining 570,000 tonnes come from agriculture, processing, trade and out-of-home catering.

Heizmann called for systemic change: “Von der Landwirtschaft bis zum Haushalt werden noch immer enorme Mengen genießbarer Lebensmittel verschwendet. Deshalb braucht es mehr Transparenz über Lebensmittelabfälle, verbindliche Reduktionsziele und bessere Rahmenbedingungen für Lebensmittelspenden.”

A Chain of Costs

Beyond the direct financial hit, the WWF warns that food waste also pushes food prices upward. The costs for production, transport, storage and disposal of food that is never eaten are spread along the entire supply chain.

To draw attention to the issue, the WWF has designated May 26 as the Day of Food Rescue (Tag der Lebensmittelrettung). The organization used the occasion to demand that more be done to teach the value of food and methods to avoid waste in schools and vocational training.

The WWF also stressed the need for transparent recording of food waste from field to plate. Better data would help policymakers set binding reduction targets and improve the framework for food donations, the group argues.

Education and Transparency

The monetary value of wasted food was derived from earlier surveys that were adjusted for price developments and combined with current food prices. The WWF analyses were conducted by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), focusing on the composition and disposal of household food waste.

The findings underscore that food waste is not only an environmental issue but a significant financial one. For an average household, the monthly loss of 100 euros adds up to 1,200 euros each year that could be saved by reducing waste.