German retailer Edeka has launched a month-long campaign that seeks to raise awareness about food waste across its store network.
Approximately eleven million tonnes of food waste are generated in Germany alone every year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Edeka Fighting Food Waste
Under the motto, 'Good for the environment and the wallet', Edeka is organising its first 'food value estimation month' from 15 September to 15 October.
Consumers will receive useful information and tips on how to be more aware of food and thus produce less food waste.
Despite rising food prices, a great deal of food is still being thrown away in German private households.
Private households account for 59% of food waste in Germany.
Per capita, that's around 78 kilograms of food wasted, and when converted to a family of four, this results in a loss valued at around €350 per year.
According to the retailer, the overall aim of the initiative is to sensitise customers to issues such as the volume of waste and the associated protection of resources in the long term.
"We are constantly developing innovative and consumer-oriented solutions to further reduce food waste along the entire value chain," said Markus Mosa, CEO of Edeka.
Part of the initiative is a '10-Day Challenge' with tasks on topics such as planning shopping, food storage, and leftover recycling, the retailer noted.
Consumers can also find information on the retailer's social media channels and on various social channels of high-reach influencers.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – in particular SDG 12.3 – and the German government's Agenda 2030, the retailer is committed to halving food waste by 2030.
Edeka noted that it is assisted in this by sustainability expert Dirk Steffens, who provides support in an advisory capacity.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
