Food & Climate
Food waste spikes during the holiday season around the world, with calls and initiatives to tackle the problem increasing, especially at this time of year. In Poland, some are trying to save 37.79% of salads from landfill, while others are warning that tens of thousands of bananas, tomatoes and carrots are being thrown away in Oxfordshire.
According to the Federation of Polish Food Banks’ 2024 report, Don’t Waste Food, Poles discard nearly 3 million tons of food annually. Bread, cold cuts, vegetables, and fruits are the most frequently wasted items, according a report seen by “Food & Climate” platform.
During Christmas, the problem intensifies. Over 17% of Poles admit to discarding food after the holidays, with salads (37.79%), bread (13.95%), and cold cuts (12.79%) topping the list of wasted products. Common causes include overbuying, improper storage, and poor meal planning.
Avoiding food waste in Poland
In Poland, community fridges in Kielce are helping residents share surplus food from holiday gatherings, reducing waste and supporting those in need.
The “Fridges Full of Goodness” initiative, set up as part of a participatory budget project, provides accessible drop-off points for leftover meals and fresh produce across the city.
Residents can leave properly labeled and packaged food items, including prepared meals, fruits, vegetables, and bread, for others to take freely. Expired or damaged goods are prohibited.
Natalia, a Kielce resident, contributed festive dishes like cabbage with peas and Kashubian-style herring after attending multiple Christmas dinners.
“I prepared too much food, as everyone brought something, and we had enough to last a week,” she said. “Instead of letting it go to waste, I’m sharing it. It’s free and can help someone in need.”
The initiative is overseen by the Municipal Family Support Center and operates year-round. It aims to mitigate food waste, which spikes during the holiday season.
Organizers hope the initiative fosters a culture of sharing while addressing the broader issue of food waste.
“The idea is simple—if you have too much, give it away; if you need something, take it,” said a representative of the Municipal Family Support Center, according to “TVP world”.
Sustainable policies in Oxfordshire
With eco-friendly and sustainable policies being high on everyone’s agenda, “Oxford Mail” website, asked councils across Oxfordshire what they do to prevent food waste, both within their own offices and across the region.
According to Replenish Oxfordshire, we throw away 10,800 bananas, 15,210 tomatoes, 22,680 carrots and 31,320 potatoes.
Most Oxfordshire councils do not have their own catering facilities, instead having external caterers with their own food waste policies, but they support a number of organisations and hold their own initiatives to help prevent food waste county-wide.
The council has provided grant funding to the Community Action Group project for the past 20 years, which supports a number of groups that focus on reducing food waste and providing community fridges.
These groups include Abingdon Community Fridge, Oxford Food Surplus Café and Witney Food Revolution.
The waste and circular economy team within the county council create social media campaigns to provide residents with tips and hints to reduce food waste throughout the year via their Facebook and X platforms.
The council does not have its own catering facilities, but staff bring their own food and use the food waste bins which are in every kitchen for composting.
A spokesperson said: “Our waste and recycling crews collect between 420 to 430 tonnes per month of food waste for composting from people’s homes. This can get up as high as 490 tonnes over the festive period”.
Holiday dinners and events in Central Ohio
Hanna Greer-Brown from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (America) said the increase in food waste during the holiday season is mainly because of the increase in food for hosting holiday dinners and events.
“If you think about all the activities, you might be participating in, including like baking more than you usually do or entertaining more hosting a larger sit-down dinner than what you’re used to,” Greer-Brown said. “All of those things can lead to an increase in the amount of waste and in particular the amount of food waste that’s generated.”
She said food waste isn’t just a sustainability issue but also an economic one.
“Here in central Ohio, about 1,000,000 pounds of food arrives at the landfill every single day,” Greer-Brown said. “And when you look at that over the course of a year, that’s equivalent to an average family of four spending thousands of dollars on food that they never eat, they just simply throw away.”
During the holiday season, SWACO hosts its “Save more than food” initiative. Its goal is to get Ohioans to think proactively about what they do with food waste. Everything from donating it to foodbanks, composting it instead of throwing it in the trash, and getting creative with leftovers, according to “Spectrum news”.