More than 269,000 tons of food waste generated in Latvia last year

RIGA - More than 269,000 tons of food waste were generated in Latvia last year, the Climate and Energy Ministry informed LETA.

According to a study carried out by the ministry, households continue to generate the largest amount of food waste, with a total of 160,692 tons of food waste generated by households in 2024.

This is followed by retail sector, which generated 41,359 tons of food waste, food production and processing, which generated 27,478 tons of food waste, primary production, i.e. agriculture, which generated 23,297 tons of food waste, and catering, which generated 16,771 tons of food waste.

In 2024, the amount of food waste in Latvia has decreased in primary production, processing and catering, but increased in trade and households.

According to ministry, food waste is generated at each stage for different reasons, including adverse weather conditions, disease or technological problems in primary production, and poor quality raw materials, production defects or logistical errors in manufacturing and processing.

Meanwhile, in commerce, waste is mostly caused by spoiled or expired products, while in catering, where waste is lowest, companies are more likely to implement solutions such as portion adjustments, takeaway packaging and reuse of goods.

In households, food waste is most often due to food storage, poor planning or misunderstanding of expiration dates. Of the total, 11.5 percent ends up in organic waste containers, 19.4 percent in backyard compost, 51.7 percent in household waste containers and 17.4 percent in the sewer.

In order to ensure that waste management is environmentally sound and resources are used efficiently, further public education and the provision of infrastructure are needed to maximize the disposal of food waste generated by people in organic waste containers and composting, the ministry said.

Climate and Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis (Greens/Farmers) said that reducing food waste is an important step towards sustainability. The study shows that food waste is still a major problem in Latvia and requires targeted action by policy makers, businesses and citizens.

According to the EU targets, by 2030, waste should be reduced by 10 percent in the production and processing stages and by 30 percent in trade, catering and households.

The study was carried out between September 2023 and April 2025. The data collection on food waste will use surveys, studies, statistics from stakeholders, direct mass measurements, weighing of food waste, diary entries and others, with additional use of national statistical data sources.

The study was carried out within the LIFE IP project "Waste as a Resource in Latvia", in collaboration with researchers from Riga Stradins University and Jaunrades Laboratorija.