According to statistics from Danish Trade Magazine (Dansk Handelsblad) and Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Denmark’s food waste has fallen by 25 percent since 2010 – the equivalent of 4.4 billion kroner.
The result makes Denmark the leader for waste reduction in the EU, followed by the United Kingdom at 21 percent, and are a tribute to the efforts of organisations like Stop Spild Af Mad (Stop Wasting Food), a Danish NGO that has been leading a “fight against food waste in Denmark”.
The organisation, which is continually striving to increase public awareness of our modern throwaway society, urges consumers to take part in their own initiatives such as reducing their own food waste, cooking leftovers, shopping more wisely and distributing surplus food to shelters for the homeless and other charities.
Meanwhile, the financial crisis has also played its part by increasing Danish awareness to minimise over-consumption.
Widespread success
Stop Spild Af Mad’s founder, Selina Juul, was thrilled by the results.
“This is a fantastic result of our work. We have been fighting against food waste for the last seven years,” she said.
“With huge action plans such as consumer education campaigns, school campaigns, United Against Food Waste events and collaborations, food waste in Denmark had been drastically reduced. We have not reached our goal yet – but we are on the right track.”
Denmark leading food waste initiatives
According to Danish Trade Magazine, Denmark is the European country with most initiatives against food waste.
Some of the initiatives include:
— All Danish supermarket chains having a food waste reduction strategy
— Over 300 restaurants in Denmark offering doggy bags as members of the REFOOD label against food waste
— Hospitals, catering services and festivals working hard to reduce food waste
— PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt putting food waste firmly on the political agenda
— Establishing the world’s first international think-tank against food waste
