Two full food carts – that's how much food a resident wastes per year

Imagine two large shopping carts loaded with groceries. This is about the same amount of food that every resident of Lithuania throws away unnecessarily in garbage containers every year.

According to the study, the most frequently thrown away food in the homes of Lithuanian residents is already prepared meals – this accounts for over 40% of all food thrown away. It is also very common for uneaten fruits and vegetables, dairy products, beverages and baked goods to go to waste.

About a third of the food produced is thrown away

Every year, about 1/3 of all food produced in the world is thrown away. These are huge quantities, so food waste has a significant impact:

– For environmental protection – discarded food contributes to greenhouse gas emissions because it releases methane when it rots.

– For the economy – we throw away what we paid for: money, energy, work and time.

– From a social point of view , when some people are starving or have to count every bite, while others throw it away.

For this reason, the United Nations has declared September 29 as the International Day for the Elimination of Food Waste.

What helps to preserve food?

We invite you to stop and think about how much food we throw away in our homes?

Even small changes in our habits can have a significant impact on the environment. Here are some expert-recommended tips to reduce food waste at home.

Make a shopping list. Look on the shelves to see what else you have and what you can use from the available products to make food. This will not only help protect you from unplanned emotional purchases, save you money and time in the store, but also help you avoid excess food.

Make a menu. If you plan what you will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner or snacks, it will be much clearer what products are missing and what you already have at home. In addition, it will give you the headache of what to cook today (even if you deviate from the plan, it will be better than no plan at all).

Use up leftovers. The Internet is full of advice on how to use vegetable or fruit residues or products that lose their marketable appearance. On our FB and Instagram #Ikipaskutiniotrupinėlio you will find great ideas on how to use up leftover bread: from toast, croutons, breadcrumbs to kvass or a sumptuous bread crumb dessert.

Freeze something. If you see that you are going to leave and you don't have time to consume the bread, you can freeze it perfectly. As our bread expert says, frozen bread retains all its nutritional and taste properties.

Place food in a visible place that needs to be eaten more urgently. If there is any salad, stew or soup left, do not put it in the middle of the refrigerator, but place it in glass containers and place it at eye level. This will make it easier to remember and eat on time.

Know the difference between Best Before and Best Before. Products such as flour, pasta, oil, chocolate, etc. – are usually labeled "Best before". Which means that even after the expiration date, they are safe to consume.

Compost food waste. Organic waste, such as vegetable residues or cuttings, as well as coffee or tea grounds, fruit peels – all this can turn into useful compost rather than waste. In the city, put such organic food waste in orange food waste bags, and in individual houses – in a compost bin.

To commemorate the day, we announce a competition for employees' ideas

To commemorate this day, we are announcing a competition for colleagues, "Employee advice – how not to waste food?"

"We invite all colleagues to share their personal tips, ideas or habits that help you waste less food. Maybe you have tricks on how you use leftover food, maybe you use a smart app, or you have rituals like Leftovers Thursday, when you don't cook new dishes, but try to use up what you've already made? Share your ideas," invites the initiator of the idea Jurga Staniukėnienė.

One of the participants will be awarded a prize by lot.

Vilniaus Duona uses the leftovers

In Vilniaus Duona bakeries, of course, leftover bread is also inevitable. Our group Lantmannen Unibake is committed to reducing environmental impact and setting environmental targets.

We try to use all the leftovers of bread efficiently. In both of our bakeries, the leftover bread is collected and handed over to biofuel producers, where it is converted into energy.

At the level of our Lantmannen Unibake Group, approximately 75% of the bread residues are used for animal feed and 25% for the production of bioethanol. The group also implements the "Sustain'abite" program, which encourages the creative use of bread leftovers generated in public catering establishments in the preparation of various dishes.

Illustration: Generated with the Artificial Intelligence program.