What do we see?
Food loss in Flemish households is estimated at 224,027 tonnes for the year 2020, corresponding to 56% of all household food waste streams. Almost four-fifths (78.3%) is disposed of through residual waste, 11.8% is selectively collected and 9.9% ends up in home composting.
What’s the aim?
Producing food requires significant amounts of energy, water and other resources. When food is wasted, these resources were useless. In a circular economy, we aim to reduce food losses and, if this is not possible, to valorise them, e.g. through home composting or selective collection. In that way the nutrients can be put to use again. Food losses that end up in residual waste will only be valorised energetically. From the end of 2023, there will be an obligation for selective collection of food waste streams.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator shows the amount of edible food loss among households in Flanders. The figures come from residual waste and sorting analyses and are available through OVAM’s food loss monitor (2020).
