Survey: Norwegians throw away less food

From 2016, food waste has been reduced by 18 per cent, with the largest decrease of 12 per cent between 2020 and 2023. This is shown by a new survey carried out by Norstat for Matvett in May, with 1,000 participants.

– It is very positive that households are throwing away significantly less food, but there is still a lot of work to be done to reach the halving target by 2030. There is a need for increased efforts both from the authorities, the food industry and the public sector, in addition to holding everyone accountable and changing habits simply by us, says communications manager Anne Marie Schrøder at Matvett.

It is true that the survey only captures self-reported food waste, but the results are in line with sample analyses, according to Schrøder.

Older people throw the least

Last year, an average of 35 kilograms of food was thrown away per person in Norwegian households. Food waste is reduced for all types of food. The reduction was greatest for the relatively animal- and climate-intensive product groups such as meat, fish and dairy products.

Food scraps make up the largest proportion of food waste, with 37 per cent. Fruit and vegetables account for 26 per cent, while baked goods make up 20 per cent.

And it is the oldest age groups, those over 60, who throw away the least food. While food throwing occurs most frequently among people between the ages of 40 and 59, it is among those under 40 that food throwing decreases the most.

– One possible explanation is the ongoing animal age, which affects young people to a greater extent, says Schrøder.

A plan for leftovers

There are particular routines related to preparation, eating and cleaning that affect how much food each individual throws away.

Less food is thrown away by people with good routines for preparing the correct amount of food, using leftover food rather than new products, as well as using food of reduced quality.

– The findings may indicate that in order to throw away less food at home, one of the most important measures is to have a “Plan B” for leftovers from raw materials and meals that inevitably occur, says researcher Aina Stensgård at the Norwegian Institute for Sustainability Research (Norus).