November 20, 2019

Limiting food waste

From field to plate, nearly 30% of total food production is wasted worldwide. In Switzerland, avoidable food losses represent 25% of the environmental impact of food. 38% of these losses come from households.

As individuals, we can act during our purchases, then at home.

When buying, the number one rule is to buy only what you need!


To do this, we can:
  • Plan your menus in advance
  • write a shopping list
  • Check what you already have in the fridge, freezer and cupboards
  • Shop when not hungry (this avoids buying in larger quantities)
  • Be careful with promotions and sets if you don’t plan to consume everything
  • Look at the expiry dates in order to plan the menus
  • Plan weeks of zero purchase: we empty the stocks, we cook what we have.
Once at home, find advice from the internet like foodwaste.ch on how to store your food in the best possible way.

I avoid filling my refrigerator too much, in order to see everything. I place the foods that need to be used most quickly out front. I can also create an “eat me first” box.

When it comes to cooking, remember that you can:
  • adapt the prepared quantities to avoid leftovers
  • cook the tops and peels of organic vegetables (vegetable broths, soups). If you don’t use them right away, keep them in the freezer, or dehydrate them to make broth. Same with chicken carcasses, bones, fish or seafood waste that can be kept in the freezer and reused for broth.
  • accommodate leftovers from meals (soups, gratins, quiches, pan-fried), or take them to work for my lunch the next day.
  • transform damaged fruits and vegetables into soup, jams, smoothies, compotes.
  • freeze the bread before it dries. Freeze it sliced and run it through the toaster to defrost it. Dry bread can end up as pudding or French toast (“pain perdu”)

At mealtime:
  • take smaller portions and have a refill if necessary. This also applies to the self-service, or in restaurants offering buffets
  • let the children help themselves while asking them to eat everything they take, specifying that they can have a refill

Help to reduce food waste, while saving money, buying or recovering unsold food:


To go further:
  • support organisations that fight against food waste, such as Foodwaste (foodwaste.ch), or Stop the waste (wfp.org).
  • If you have cooked to much food, give your rests away to your neighbours, or others through the foodsharingschweiz.ch website.

    • More information on the website of the Federal Office for the Environment, including an illustration showing the most polluting food waste:
    Article out of SwissInfo: